IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4 /. ^M I £/ A^ MA 1.0 I.I 1^128 ^ m 1: lifi IIIIIM 2.5 iiiii 1.8 1-25 11.4 11.6 v] <^ /}. n 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ A^ \\ ^ ^•" IHTl-. .^'i. .•■•i?v. A/ ! s MY CIlUT'LAll NOTES. i;XTI!A(TS I'lKiM .K >l" l!N M.S. I.K'n'KIIS SKN T lluMK. (iKOlJMilCM. AND oTIIKi; NnTKS, WIIITTKN WIIILK 'll!AVi:i,l,INt I WKS'l'WAIIliS ItOCNI) Til H WOIMJ), FItnM .ICI.Y i;. ISTI. Tn .II'l.V I'.. l^^T.".. IIV .1. F. (A M IM5 K LL, M IMiill (IK ■• I'lin-iT \Mi lll'.l IX TWO VOMMKS. V(tl.. 1 Xontion -. MAC MILL AX AND CO. 1 STt!. \TIir lUilht (if TmiisJillinn mul Rrjirohirlioil is Rrtrrrri/.] -. ' .*» ,•( « ••• MtifxtixWan. IT 18 THE CUSTOM OF PAINTEKS TO PRESENT A DIPIOMA PICTURE TO THE ROYAL ACADEMY WHEN THEY RISK TO THE DIGNITY OF II. A. TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ATHEN^.UM CLUB. WHO DID ME THE HONOUR TO PLACE MY NAME ON THKIR LIST WHILE I WAS AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, I DEDICATE TillS CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR LIBRARY. J. F. CAMPBELL. NiDDKY LODOE, KENStNOTON, July 6lh, 1876. Pacific N. W. History Dept. PROVINCIAL LIBRARY VICTORIA, B. C. :^^^(I20 i: !» CONTENTS OF VOLUME LETTKK OF INTHODl* T1(:s 7, !^ LI'/ITEI! II. N:.tllill: I'lllJCS ^, \> LLTTKU IV. Thr Wrathii — The DagK'iT ami the Drink -Artii'lioki'.s and Oceaii.s — The i;iivssiiij,'ot' Kye.s— Tlie IIu})of the Woria . . . /%-'s 9— 'Jo LETTER V. < 'hinii|iaf,'nc and Sham Spirits — Crows aiul ('anipbells -Biark .Men and (liec n Aryans and Afriearyaiis J'i"j,:-i -Jd- J> •LETT Eli VI. W'atir ('(liours — Conroy — .Mare power to him I'litjis -JS- :i-J CONTENTS. LETTER VII. Luiiunous Vagrancy- " (io fetch the Engines "— Celtic Canadian.s — Tlie Rcii Rurncrs-Johii is a good Indian — Live Stock and Ijandscapc — A Difliculty PagM 32 4.") LETTKl! VI II. Hocky Mountain Scutch Highlanders Pni)er, and a I'latl'orm Puycn 80- S LETT El! XIX. A Cle<;kiiigof Salmon Land ami Livestock C.ime Here , /'(I'jf^ 144 l.')" LETTER XX. (ionies and Seals- Fire Drill The Quiet I'acilic -The Chinese at Sea. Page^ 150 L'lft LETTER XXL IVy-and-Can-Do— Kant, Can Do, and Cannot— Have Done, Must, and \V.>ii i - Go Ahead and Law— Head.s, Helps, and Hands -Head over Heels rages 158-1711 LLTTER XXII. Antipo-ies-Men and liirds at Sea -" Wings ! to bear me over" Pages 171 1 7 •"• LETTER XXI 11. Kurusia -The Heart of .Japan- -Comparisons Pages 175 l>-.i ^" CONTENTS. LETTER XXIV. A (•lui.sc oil Wheels— A Secoiid-siglit Viuw— Tliijikinj,' about Tl.iiikii.g-- Japaiiesc Thoughts— Clothes and no Clothes— Cairns and Customs— Hot Water and Fire— The Luxury of being Craeked— The Seu-si.ake Maiden —Hurry and Kest— The Races of Men and Horses -The Man who was not Afraid- Old Boots and New Ways-My Old I'laid and New People — Siwodoin and Second Sight— Heels over Head — Diiik Angels Pages 18-2- •_>!() LETTER XXV. Fine Howcrs . Pages '111 —21% LETTER XXVI. llunihlf Historical Drama — " And he put on his Kilt " Pajcs 21s 221 LETTER XXVI 1. Ka^t.rii Ways and Western— Mine Ease at Mine hu. The Road to Nikk.. Nikko Kekko— Thunder and Wind , \ . . Pages 221— 2:i;{ LETTER .X.Win, t'hiinli Plunder — Teinpora Mutantur . . /'.',7'.'s 233- 2:'..") LETTER XXIX. I'asl.ions Change— Rlo,sson.s, Ik-auties, and Buds-Duck-liunting and Draw- ing—The Editor and the Tories-A Leading Article— Gralloeh and ^*"*'''' /Vr,(7c,-( 236— 248 LETTI'K .\.\X. Rococo — .\strononiy . Pmjf 249— 2.')-2 CONTENTS. Xlll LETTER XXXI. Xiiisery Tiilos— A Pwp at Venus— Bnef and Stars— Eveiywliori' Look Alioiu —The Press Gang-St.irt iind " Wo "—The Army— Names and Weiglils — Ombres Cliinoises — Squeeze — Money Cliaiif;ers— Legal Torture— A Japanese on Torture— Silk — The North Star and the Plougli— Sinbiid's Iron Mountain — Usui Tonge — Winter and Fire — Idols— Religion?- A Hronze Myth — Pilgrim passes Pagan — Myths— Shrines, Altars, (iroves — r.autaina, 15uddha, Pope and I'agan— Rest and Go-ahead — Hatcliinian out in the Gold— Engines with Drivers — Mills and Millers— Sohu Eoree — Uada Tonge— Men and Houses— Fire, Tent, House— Arts and Arehiteeture- Masonic (.'arjientry — Tune and Keynote — Christniav. 1874— The Dragon— The Myth— A Theory— Mythology— A Day of R.'si —Seven-leagued Boots -Our ('ards— Priests and Temples— The Hidgr nf Japan -A Halt at a Stage —Weaving "Runio Knots"- New- Year Customs— East and West — New- Year OlFeriiigs- Hunting and Spooring. Pages 2f>2—':>,T /I % } 1 I MY CmCULAE NOTES. ^ Z^O, /^<^^^.^.<^ ^(j LETTER OF INTROPUCTIOK. Jnhj 2G, 1875. The mental matters upon the following pages w'ere dressed in paper between this date and July C, 1874. The writer on these ])apers — a briefless barrister, and public servant out oi' place, "took tlie world for his pillow," like the hul in the story, and set out to amuse himself in that long vacation which ho hopes will last for many years, and his life. He might have been wearing out arm- chairs in London, well-paid and housed for doing very little ; he prefers to please himself, and ramble with some object in view, "it's better to wetr slioou than sheets," according to the old saw ; " It's better to hear the lark sing VOL. I. ;/ i MY CIRCULAH NOTKS. than tlic mouse s(iiieak," as tlio ])ou<,'las said. Ono object tlii.s liine was to visit places to -wliielj tlie writer once thoulaelc Sea, or somewhere else, warned this writer, whom he took for a writer of fiction, to lock up his papers, " Ces gens-la sont capables de les imprimer; ils sont tres-voleurs, les voyageurs," so he said. Tlie ])apers continued to kick aliout the cabin. Nol)ody read them ; the stewiU'ds tram])led on them when they swept up the dust in tiie nujrning. Yagrancy does make "3 1\ LKTTKK OF INTIKJDUCTIOX. S iiu'ii ac(|uaiiite(l witli rough niglit ({uartors ; Imt there's lioiiour amongst thieves, and fun aiuongst jolly beggars. " Les giu'ux, les gueux, soiit des gens heureux ! Vivent les gueux ! " I'ajH'r writings are the last things that vagrants pick out of tlie dust-hole, unless they are stamped ; then they are apt to he annexed. The "circular letters" of Coutts and Co. were eaiefully hidden in separate jtlaces according to orders. They got home safe, so did my worthless "circular notes" and ])a])er writings, which were stamped, only by Postmen, Stewards, iJodts and Co. The letters were jjosted when a post couhl be found, witii tl; design of making friends at home see and hear with the vagrant writer. Many kind friends saw and heard, and said that they were amused. Some of the letters are Avan- dering still. After a long jjarting the writer met his rough family of rude, ugly, bodiless beings neatly copied, well- dressed, like other rough fulhjw-travellei's, adorned in new garments by town tailors. lEe was reminded by them of l)leasant places, and people, sights and sounds. Uut after some weeks it became a bore to answer the question, "Where have you been since 1 saw you?" The letter writer took to pointing downwards and answering gravel}' " TiiKitE." That seemed to be taken as the revival of tlie tenant of a condbrtable coffin by some, who glared with scared eyes, and presently said, " We heard that you had been burned in the Jai)an." Some of the letters were in " the Jajmn," but their writer was on the Japanese hills amongst the snow. Matter-of-fact friends mani''^'^ Jy thought of the cellar, and suspected wine. Faces can be read like books. The ease suggested printing in self-defence, for all B 2 ^ 1 MY CinrULAR NOTES. who qncstionod rould not read ono pnppr writinrr, and wonld not 1)0 content with ono word. Friends openly asked for "a liook." A fellow-conntryinan odbred lo cash my circnlar notes, and he ^ot the pa]i(>r stani])ed hy Bools and Co., to float on liis stock exchange. The anthor of the hodiless beings road the letters in which tlioy wer(> lod^^ed, and was ratlier anni.sod hy their prattle. They had travdhni in l»a,Lts with oil-well shares, Knuna ^line, Conistock L(Mli^e, hills of exchange, and tea Ljodown rich mercantile papers, till they had taken the infection of trade, like their elders and betters. Small blame to them if they earn money honestly, and share their le ; and, so far as I can see, 1 am the only pa.ssenger on board that is doing anything but feed the fishes. It is fine and broozy from the luirth, with a considerable ])itch and heave. There is absolutely nothing to do, and I am doing it. From the smell of whisky I reckon that the ])assengers are having a drain in their berths. Fridaif, 10. — Swell and fog. A lot of French-speaking people from Verviers and Liege, singing the IMarseillaise, and other songs, very well in ])arts. I discoursed them and 10 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. found tliat one at least wa.s in Paris with me during the Commune. I gave him a cigar. He is bound for Calit'ornia, and hopes that we may meet again. I hope it' so, that it may be daylight. In the evening we were dismally howling in a thick cloud, rolling and pitching. i:iaturday, 11. — Polling and pitching. Spent my time in reading and inventing contrivances. A little girl, aged 10, propounds the riddle, " What ship has two mates and no captain?" An.sircr: Courtship! "That's a crushing little girl," (pu)lli the fourth oflicer. Sunday, 12. — lUue sea and white liorses, confused cross sea; ship wriggling in a strange fashion. Service at lU.oO read by Captain Mouland. He is a very good fellow. All the evening a lot of Bostoniiins and a Yankee Lancashire parson sang hynnis. They did it rather \v(!ll. Mondity, V.\. — North-west. Clear sky. Th(! lirst fh'ar ilay since we started. Thr Irish lut, h;i\iiig I'lpiiii'l a (lub; autl a jiliiyer, took to dancing jigs, old and ynuiig. 1 lu\iiid the Norseman. He conies from Telemarkeii, and s[icaks no Kiiglish, He looks a Norseman ill over, and T mean to get at liis story. Now with reganl to weather. The Captain says the Atlantic has been veK foggy all tiiis year. He, like me, holds our Government Mt'tcorido- gical Department very chea[). He holds that weatiair prognostics might be made by telegraphs li'oni IJoston and Newfoundland ; together with the logs of steamers ruiniing westwards, telegra[)hed from Queenslowu to head- ([uarters. THE VVEATIIEU. II 1 In America tliey telegraph western weather to tlie east coast, and find that tracts of weather move northwards and eastwards. That is reasonable and jjrobable. It is true experimentally. Our system is to tell people what the weather was : which does not help to prepare tliem for tlie morrow. All that I have to say about the world's weather I put into my log. Tumlinj, 14. — Fine, bright, small waves ; north-west breeze ; getting on fast. Last night I M'atched the comet till near midniglit. Tlie tail was more than twenty degrees long, and the head was very bright. It was just abrea.st of my port ; so I rested my glass on it, and watched and wondered. It was vt!ry liki; a I'alling rocket, some ten degrees above the dark horizon, plunging into the sea. I made a rude sketch in the morning. Jig.s are going on to a Ihite played by a native ; cards in the saloon. Odours of driidvs and lemonade pervading the atmosphere. " Yi)U an- the first lord I ever met," sjiid a Yankee boy to me. " P.ut 1 ain't, a lord," said I. Wcdiuxiliiji, 1,"). — After dinner last night we saw \i cloud ahead on the sea, and presently dived into it, and howled dismally with the ibg-luiru f(U' the rest ol' tlie uighi. The air was fifty-out' degrees. We luul got to a streak of the ar('ii(; current. 1'his morning we liad got to a lane of the Guli' Stream. The wind south-west and the glass sixty degrees. The steerage people ai'e all aiive ; little Bi'lgian girls and babies pay me the compliment of fraternizing with me. The Irish lot have so far recovered as to be love-making in the most demonstrative fashion in all sorts of strange 12 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. places. Ill tlie intervals of courtship they dance jigs. Tliis is reguhir yacliting. I have good Ibod, and 520 people to amuse me M'itli Irish antics, and French and (Jernian, and Norse and Danish, and Swedish on whom to practise tongues. So far, av ell. " In good time he it spoken." Thnrfichty, IG. — Last night the stars shone overliead, and the coinet glowed like a puiar of light through the liaze. This morning the sun shine.s, and the sea is covered by a thin haze. Strong west wind ; thermometer G4°. The Captain produced a pocket revolver and a dagger which were taken from an irate steerage passenger. They took to pelting each other with potatoes ; one got angry and threatened to use his arr s, so he was disarmed. The pistol was loaded. Friday, 17. — Fog and fog-horn, thermometer 64", wind west. We are here about the latitudes of Tillis, Xaples, Madrid, Lisl)on, and other hot countries. P)Ut in conse- quence of ocean circulation the climate at sea is very different. Tlie cold stream which comes down by Grcenhmd, Labrador, Newfoundland, and over the banks, crosses the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and coa.sts Nova Scotia and the States, hugging the .shore westwards. Outside, the warm stream crosses tlie cold at the banks of NevvfoundLand. Where the damp air of the wai'in sti'eam comes to coUl water, there mists condense, and we have l)een in clouds of this kind, and we are in a wet cloud now. (/onsequently the Captain is fenced in with ropes, and inaccessible ; the fog-horn is howling, and we have just stt)pped to sound in THE DAGGER AND THE DRINK. 13 order to avoid tlie fate of the Atlantic, Mdiicli ran ri.ulit nshoro, in a similar inist. Passenj^ers are ]»e,i,'innin,ff to pack up, and sailors to brin;^- n]> nioorinfrs and coil them on deck. We live in hojies of landin.L? to-morrow, Satnrday, the 18th. After a run of 2,900 miles frr.m Liveri»ool to Boston, add 220 to Liverpool, and I sliall have made .".,180 since Ave parted. f>o iar 1 have been neither sick nor soriy I'or myself. I have read an amnsinj,' bof)k about La Salle, who dis- covered the :Mississi])])i ; a .Lireat bit of Kinnlake's Crimea ; and of Tom Hughes on AliVed the dront. T have had all my comforts and dodges about me, and a steward to act valet and l)ring my morning tub. Aly wine bill will be covered liy two ])ottles (-f sherry in ten days, one uroo', and some lemonade. I wish I could l)e amusing, Imt this (piiet, idle life gives nothing to say, and so ] say it. 1 try to make you travel with me. Snfniuhnj, 18. — Very fine, hot day; bright sun. It .seems that we have narrowly escaped cholera, but we have escaped; and there is America, iind I'.o'^ton will be along.side in a few liours. The coast has notliing rcmarkalilc but llatness and .'=!and. "The walrus and the c!iri)enter wept like anything to see such quantities of .sand." It is not a cheerful coast. The most remarkable thing on the voyage is the water's tem- ]H'ralure, which I have copied from the log. While we were sailing frojii cloux ? " said a Yiinkee. " Animal spirits and water, Sir, I tfui'ss," lie added, and i>iinned. A lot of them were drinking lartie tumblers of cocktails and other decoctions lonu: before breakfast. Oli tliat I could tell you the stoiy of an arti- choke as it was told tiiis morninj^' by a jolly old man! " Me and Joe, and my wife and his, was diniiii,' in Paris; and Joe, he ordered an artichoke. ' WHiat's that ? ' I said. 'It's an artichoke,' siiid he; 'will you take some?' 'No,' says I. 'Mother told me to be sure to eat artichokes; I'll liave one for myself.' .So when it came we looked at each other, for we was green. We didn't know which end of the animal to attack. So Hrst we began at the hard end, and that pricked our mouths; and we didn't thiidc much of artichokes. 'That can't be right,' says Joe. So we began at the other end, and scraped out the middle and ate that. ' My,' said the wife, ' 1 was tliat ill, that \ had to leave the table. It's all prickles and hairs, and they stuck in my throat.' Well, we did not think anything id. all of artichokes that time, but next time we got a man that knew how to li.\ it, and then we liked them well enough, I guess. Ye.s Sir, that's so 1 " And now^ I shall close this letter with love to every- body from J. F. C, Vagrant. P.S. — A York man on board has £4,000 in gold ; so there are greater fools than me in this ship. I have only j8200 in gold for emergencies. Lo(/. — Friday, 17. — Cold, wet, misty, thick, and disagreeable dirty weather. In cold water. The fourth ollicer says that ^ ATITICIIOKES AND OCEANS. lo the arctic current sweeps round Newfoundland and d(jwii 1 lie wliolo American coast to Florida. In winter ships f,'et so froz(Mi that tlicv liave to turn hack into tlie milf stream to thaw. They often come into X(!W York with their sails adrift, l»cin,tf unahle to furl them. This ahout lat. 40, south of Tillis, Naph^s, Madrid, Lishon, i^v. Saturdnij, 18. — Very line, hot, hrij^lit day. ( Mit of tlic cnld water. Last ni,L;lit tlie comet's head was under the lan'izon, and his tail nearly reached the Cireat I'jcar about eleven when 1 looked at him. The sky was very clear, and the stars l)rig]it. AVe had got out of a cloud, Avhich was rest- ing npon cold water. We had passed through a st- ak of a local glacial period.^ Discoursed tlie doctor on matters sanitary. It seems that we have had I-'ngiish cholera. It broke out suddeidy amongst the steerage passengers in the fog banks, fifty cases at once, and ceased as suddenly as it came. When the cholera was in London in ISoi-o,"), and I Assistant Secretary to the General Uoard of Health, medical theories abounded, but the most sagacious of the men who had studied the art of preventing disease admitted, behind the scenes and off the stage, that they did not Icnoiv how to account fur outbursts of cholera. There are many things that nobody knows, and those who knov,- most know it best. Our doctor did not know, so he tested the water, tasted the i'ood, and routed everybody out to dance in the air and sing. That was a sagacious medical student, but ' The results of oli.scrvati"ns aiul renuuks on tliis Inaneli of geolojjy wore put into tlio .sli.i]H' wliicli they now wear in .'.lusu volunu's. Those who caru i;iu skip thu IctU'r.s, or the iiaper ; nuJ either, neither, or botli. 4 16 MY CIRCULAIl NOTKS. why should health smUIoiily rolurn as wo [xissed from cold sea water and chilly fogs in summer to In-ight sky and a -warm climate ? I don't believe in curiu;,' cholera with " rosa crina " or " drops o' l)randy," or a dance of death ; and there was nothing wrong in this well-found ship with food or water. The pilot, a neat, well-shavc-n, polite man, politely touched his hat and asked leave to try my aluminium hino- cular. He gave it back without remark. I saw what ho said to himself as well as if ho had a pane in his stomach. "The field is small and the clearness middling, but that Tiritisher nuist be very proud of that shining thing, and I won't hurt his feelings." 1 hope he saw inside of me, for I thought the pilot a very good gentlemiin, who would neither tell a lie nor speak disagreeable truths needlessly. The aluminium binocular was made for magnifying small objects, to wit, hn- looking at a horse in a race, or at a pretty face in a large theatre. It was mado bright to attract pretty dears by shining. It would have scared all the deer out of a highland forest, and it did not suit the pilot at sea. He wanted a largo tidd and low power, and much light, by which to find a ship or a light in dark- ness. I knew all that, but those who make aluminium glasses to sell for lifteen guineas, and those who buy them, don't seem to study optics for vagrants. Great lots of ships and three large black whales set everybody to look through binoculars. When I had found my whale 1 could sec him very well with tlie handsome gift that was given to me to sec the world with. lUit while I was looking for my whale ho dived and I often missed 1 TIIU lU.KSSING OF EYKS. 17 Uic sight which others saw with cheaper f^hisses, mudo fur roii<,fh work. There is a phice for everything, and inatter out of place is a deruiition of dirt. ])ut that which we hoM dirt clieap is dear to others who know the use of it. Every- body wlio owns an optical instrument hohls it to be tlve best that ever was made or used by man. Long-sighted boast that they can sciC birds far away ; short-sighted that they can read small print. It's a blessed provision of nature, for everybody is pleased and blesses his owu ayes, and his opticians, if he wears spectacles. Presently a lot of tugs came poking about us, asking questions and news. They were Press-boats, I believe, carrying the " Press-gang," as one of the fraternity calls the fourth estate. I don't know a more amusing fra- ternity to fraternize with. Then the sun grew so furiously hot that we crept under boats for shade and longed for an awning. Then came the quarantine boat and stopped us. We had a clean bill, thanks to the doctor's prescription of jigs in air or to the healing art of nature, and we went on. "We passed forts and islands, and rounded hills of rolled drift cut into by man's hand and by the sea. Then we went to the elevator and turned the ship round for the dock. Ulsie and E)iulij, who hiid followed \is for a long way, got side by side and stuck their noses against our port quarter, and then, like a couple of amiable whales or dragons, they snorted, and pushed, and panted, and went ahead full speed like their country, till they got our stern round, and the head the right way, and then we, too, went ahead and into the Boston dock, about noon. Then everybody warmly shook VOU L C 18 MV CITICULAR NOTES. hands with ovovylioily, and wv. scattered. This corporate hody, ten days ohl, was dissipated. The custoni-lionsc! ofiicer in tlic cahin made us sij^ni a dechiration. Tlien he aslilik' handy. Then wc were searched, and I passed free, heing too old a hird to carry anything worth hrihing for. It so fell out, as I was tohl, that a passenger hy this same ship landed at this same port smoking a long cigar, lie had signed all the declarations. He entered into agreeable air}' converse wit'.i this same custom-house otlicer, or some other as 'cute, and he offered him a magnificent cigar. The other accepted it and said, "Will you favour me with a light?" He took the long cigar, and held it fast, and ripped it up with a pen- knife as sharp as he was, and out of the mouth end of the hurning roll of haccy rolled contraband diamonds worth unt(dd do.'Iars. The miseralde owner who tried to cheat these autliori<-es was detected and disgraced, nay, worse, he was fwir J. Now, the best and cheai)t'3t plan is to have a clear conscience, and then you clear your boxes without bribing very clever men. If y(ju have a wcsak i)lace in your inside, custom-house officers sec it, even through blue spectacles, and they go for you at once. I never snuiggle, fo*" it is of no use, xudess 1 bril)e, and that is costly and unsafe. Some clever nu'u are honest. Once upon a time I tried an experiment at Southampton. I had nothing wort taxing, and little worth anything to anybody by way of personal property, but I was arriving from lands of bi'andy and cheap cigars, and I had a pair of wooden shoes. Tiiese THK lien ov rnn world. 19 T ])nt into my pockets, and ovor my face T spread a mask of guilty consci()usnes55. I walk(;d to the side, nervously jerkinj,' towards the place where these sabots were coneealed. A custom-house oftieer aecidentally touched my clothes, " TFave you anything,' to declare?" said the man in authority. "No," I said. "Ifave you anything contraband about your person?" he said, with emphasis. "No," I said. "Will you allow me to see what you have in your i)ockcts ?" " Yes," 1 said, and produced a pair of sabots, with sheepskin covers, fit for a small French child. " Tass ox, Siu," said the officer. As I passed liim, so I passed the customs at Boston without paying a red cent, because not one red cent was due by me to Uncle Sam. A friend who landed elsewhere with much property had to pay several pounds to escape heavy duty. All Uncle Sam's children are 'cute, but all are not quite so honest as those who dwell at Boston, the " ITuJ) of the world." Let me explain, as some American writer said. " The world revolves on its own axis once in twenty-four hours, subject to the constitution of the United States." Boston, according to Bostonians, is the pivot on which the whipping-top revolves. Britishers whip the world, we whip the Britishers. I')Oston whips the United States, and is the ITub of the world. I got into a coach on C springs, with luggage strapped on behind, and recognized the conservative element of Americti in this curious old family coacli. A drunken cad of an Iviglishman was drunk within. I would not be seen in his company, so got on the l)ox in the sun and felt it. 1 also felt the jolting of the family coach on exceedingly c '2 20 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. bad pavements, and wondered how the luib stood it. Bos- tonians are proud of crooked streets and old houses, as they are of their old families, the oldest in the States. But this old family coach on C springs had to get its hubs and v/heels into floating stages and to go ahead with its load, and it went ahead. Somehow the old thing runs upon all fours, with the rest of these United Stat( s. It ran me into the Parker House, where I borrowed a ilolkir and paid like an honest citizen of that world which is subject to the consti- tution of these United States, which I left fighting like fiends in the fall of 18G4. Tltey failed to upset their family coach then, and it is numing with drawing-room cars now. It did me good to see that old English lord- mayor':-; coach upon C springs, but it shook my bones till my teeth rattled. A hack is a thing like the old London hackney coach, which I can just remember. It was dear to me as an old friend : too dear ; for the fare asked and often paid is about 19s. for a couple of miles. I'our dollars and fifty cents to the Parker lIoU;!. No. V. Boston, U.S., Juhj IVIh, 1874. My dear Moth Kit, This is a change, and T am not sure that it is all pleasant. From fog and 5.T, and the howling of fog-iioriis, to fierce sun and 85° in the coolest place I can find. ^ . n. not recogniz; the place at all. Since I was here nine years ago the town has been burned and built, a bay and a marsh have been fdled with gravel and built on, trees have giown, and public parks and gardens have come into being. Further, this is Sunday, and 1 can't get into anywhere. 1 have been ] CHAMPAGNE AND SHAM SPIRITS. 21 to clmrcli ; and I have been to fetch a walk with an unilirella over uiy head. I hear French and German, various Irisli accents and some Yankee ; the majority seem Europeans. I drink lemonade and read ruhhish in the papers. As soon as I can I shall be off to Niagara to bathe and draw. I don't exjioct to hear from anybody till I get to San Fran- cisco, if then. The ways of this house an; to pay two dollars for a small room on the third floor, and pay for any- thing oaten at any hour. I paid tvo dollars for a very moderate dinner, and eighty cents for a moderate breakfast. Ciieapness is not the peculiarity of these States, but every- body seems bent on champagne, so prosperity ought to abound. I am going to a s])iritual seance, if I can find it later. Viy my lack of employment yo\i gain letters, and my lirains repose, and now I am going to sprawl in my bed, and ruminate. \\y tlu' way, I found a whole fleet of small CoRtalias care ring about on ponds. Tliey are double boats with a wheel between. Th(; man sits in a chair, with a leg on each f id'.\ and drives the wheel like a bicycle. In all essentials till ])lan is the same as the Casfalia and the boats rocked consuinedly. 1 did find the seance. Tt was free, in a public lecture room. A pretty girl, who was ilirting a godd deal with one of the men on tlie IVont seats, got up and went to a piano. Three others joinetl her, and wheji the T.ady ^fedium, and a man came in they solenndy sang ii hymn rather well. Then the lady recited a kind of extempore prayer from the platform, and ilien lIk; fcMir sang a /aiu. 22 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. Xcxtly the lady delivered an oratiiui \vith extreme volu- bility and wordy tautoloj,'y. She repeated for an liour phrases which meant, " Set a good example to your little children," and I nearly slumhered. The peroration awoke me, and a hymn. Then the male person announced that ihc ^" .'-il" ^^erson was prepared to answer questions. Nobo'iy sp'..i.(. for some time. At last an old party, with a liald head and gold spec- tacles, a typical development of wonder, whoui I noticed at first, asked, " Do spirits of those who have committed crimes ever return ?" The lady answered at length, "They d(j re- turn." ^Nfanifestations quoted from the si>iritual telegraph were mentioned in proof. Cards with (questions were handed in, and while the choir sang the lady wrote, acting thought, and putting her pen to her ear, as if ihat spoke to her. Tlien she got up, and in a crying voice uttered oracular nonseu:-!ci, of which I could not catch the drift, not knowing the <|ue3- tions. In the midst I got up and bolted. Another siv;;eo ol the same kind was going on on the ojiposite si('e of '» u- km^ street. Now T am puz/led I I don't (piite know wiseti.'r i' is woman is crazy and "run" by rogues, or a rogue hersclt'. The amlience seemed grave and earnest, not at all dis- posed to answer my bantering (pieslion "who may the old ])arty in spectacles be?" If tlie woman is a humbug, she is the most blasphemous specimen of the kind 1 ever encountered. She nuikes her money by private con . Uations, I suppose. Anyhow that was a. common lJosto.i prituul meetinif, and somethiii'' new to you and to me. Monday, Juli/ 20. — This is dcsDevate heat. The sky is clouded and there is a bree- o from the west, but 70' is the CROWS AND CAMPBELLS. 23 coldest that I have found, and now it is 80" in my press. I have got coin and I have been to tlie Natural Historj- ^luseum. It stood in a wide open space, strewn with bricks and deceased cats nine years ago ; now it stands be- tween a large church and a large institution of some kind, and long streets of grand Lrick houses file off in all directions, while tall trees, ponds and deer paddocks make 15oston common beautiful. I read the account of ^Montana and its geysers, and studied the Californian State map, and nearly fell asleep amongst the skeletons and stuffed birds and rocks and books where I read for Frost and Fire, when I was last here. A lady assistant clerk sat working at her desk and papers all the while. I came hack in a 'bus, and sprawled about till dinner time, and now I am going to feed. There are, and there will be, no secrets in my letters, and you may as well read my journal at home. Tiiat will save me the trouble of carrying it, and reading it as I go along, and so I wish you all good-bye, and hope to hear from you when I get to San Francisco. J. F. C. r.S. — Ixoused by tin; enclosed card, 1 went to the parlour expecting to find Alicia and lier brotlier. Found instead a be- nevolent \\hite-liair(!d man, with gold eyeglasses, and a pretty little daughter, who askt'd nie liow I liked I'eru. Explanation: It seems tliat tliercMs another .iDhn Campbell in the house, whom they had never seen. Told them that crows and Cami)bells are in all (quarters of the globe, and went to dinner ; now I am going to bed. Wednesday, July 22. — Niagara Falls. Here I am again af'.er ten years, more charmed with the place than ever. Vide S4 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. " A short American Tramp." Yesterday at seven the thermo- meter was 75° on a marble slab in a window at Boston, and the heat was ojipressive. At 8.30 we started in a Drawing- room Oar, and the change was instant and marvellous. It was just as l)ot, but the air was fresh and moving instead of star.nating in a hot, low-built, datnp town. In the Eepublican coimtry, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class carriages woald never do, so tliey run drawing-room cars for which those who will can pay and be happy ; mine this turn cost 21 dollars extra. It is a long lofty room, set on four pairs of wheels, of which two pairs are on a bogy at each end, con- sequently the long beams take off all jar and rattle. All down the sides are velvet-covered chairs, with spring seats, each on a bronze pillar turning any way. Tlic sash Avin- dows are largo plate-glass affairs, into which, when open, an attendant nigger fits wire blinds to keep out the dust. Green sun-blinds draw down, so there we sit at ease, each in his own hired chair, and look at the country as we whirl along at great speed. Truly the Yankees know how to travel by rail. Those who want to smoke find a cal)in in tlie fore part of the car, those wlio want to drink find iced water, and those who want to wash their dusty faces and " slick their harr down " can do that to their hearts' content. The cabin of a small Clyde steamer is about the thing. Now and then as we ran up the Green IVfountain glens the tiYiin slowed. Curious to see the reason, I went out on the platform, and looked down into a rocky gorge. We were passing over a scaffold. A coui)le of rows of upright trees supported us, and a network ol" narrow laths bound them togetlier, but if wc swung that structure, down it ULACK MEN AND GREEN. 25 would certainly go. Tliercfore "we went slowly over these bn(l,!j;cs. The workmen offered us mint as we passed them slowly. From Boston to Springfield we crossed hills 400 feet high. i"^>en we crossed the (Jreen Mountains 1,500 feet, and ran down to Albany on the Hudson. There, at three, I dined in 1 5 minutes, waited on by cheerful neat damsels, who gave me ice creams and ginger ale. Then ve ran up to the IMohawk by Utica and Syracuse to Rochester, where I changed cars at about 10 P.M. Vtv two I was in this cool charming room with the rush of the river to hush me to sleep, and so I slept, in a draught with the glass at 6G°. That's pleasant! A collogian on the cars fraternized with me, and he was the oidy fraternal being. The rest were absorbed in absorbing oranges, in knitting, iind n'^thing at all. IJke loafers at the hotels, the populace seem to enjoy sitting in chairs, doing nothing, at an open window where the wind blows. In this weather I understand it. Mv friend wanted to know about titles a good deal. He seemed to be a good green gentleman. At Saratoga there has been a grand University boat-race, and athletic games of all sorts. The papers are full of the meeting, and of murders and scandals and sensa- tions. My friend, wlio had been to Saratoga, described a mob. The nox*. nofeworthy personal matter that I can think of is the difference between races of men. At the Parker House all the servants were Irish. Some were green as the Emerald Isle, and none were like French and German waiters, but if thev were lacking, it seemed to be want of education for the work. Left to himself, one always 26 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. brouglit me potatoes. I wrote down tlic name of a .soup, but lie brought me goose and potatoes. That was tlie result of education, I su])pose. Here arc niggers and no Irish, and they seem to be born waiters without much brains. Pat may inlhience elections and rise to be I*resident; Saml)o never will. "^ly name, sir, is Lloyd," said a young darky last niglit, "call for me and I will look out for you." I bade him call me at six. About eiglit he came. " I told them to call me at six," lie said, " but they forgot, so I am come at eight." " Xow go and brush my clothes and bring them back." He went and came. " I did not hurry myself, you see," quoth Lloyd, "I just took my time and brought them right square oil'." I never am in a hurry, least of all here, 80 I did not mind. Next we got to a bath : it is down in the basement, a large square room with a watersjKJut dashing into the bath in the corner. I got hold of a rope and held my back in it, and the spray Hew ten yards into the room, a fountain. One feels as if bones wwn ilag-poles, and llesh fluttering bunting in a gale of wind. " It's awful whole- some," as the black Welshman said when he shut the door and left me. But the born waiter forgot to give me a towel, which was not intelligent. A wIkjIu army of them were drawn up sunning themselves at the breakfast-room door, and very neat and clean they looked in white, livery shade of black and brown, every variety of cross, shines tiirough their queer, quiet faces. The olive-green ones sell liooks ami papers, the sepia men wait at table, the blackest black boots and brush coats, and bear burdens. But no amount of dilution seems to make a blacky white enough to keep a hotel, or own a shop, or do anything that an Aryan docs. ARYANS AND AFRICAIIYAXS. 27 i I am quite sure tliut no Africaryan ■will ever run an Emma mine or an Erie rin;^'. But the potato man may in time, for he has brains to be educated, wliile darky's head is like that of the Neander-thal man who was like a monkey. It is so precious liot and l)right outside tliat here I have sat smoking and journaliziuff, and thinking' about Celts and Niggers, enjoying the cool and the sound of the waters, instead of going out to see the E;dls. Tliat is the one gi-eat advantage of travelling alone. If I liad some energetic person to lionize, or somebody always in haste to get on, I never could have dawdled away a whole sunny morning in tliis idle fashion. I fancy I hear my best travelling chums rushing about with letters of introduction, or C. Cr. charging about after the next trains for the west, so as to get somewhere else in a hurry. T never was in a hurry, and I always have been huriied till now, and now I have got over 550 miles in perfect ([uiet and repose. I was more hurried between home and the station. Xow I am 4,730 miles from that station, and I have never been hurried or worried since I set out. If this goes on I sliall become a peripatetic philosopher. " Air you going on the St. Lawrence, sir ? " said a human olive to me. " T, sir, am travelling circumperand)ulatori- cally," I said, gravely. The olive gaped, and a white timber nutmeg of a Yaidceo grinned intelligently. Xow I shall go out to Goat Island, and do something for a bait to catch curious creatures. I never fiiil to trap somebody, if I only sit down and draw, or look tlirougli a glass at something. By tlie way, you nray like to introduce a domestic notion which is in full swing under my window. An upright post with four long arms is turned by a small water-wheel ; from arm to 28 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. arm arc clothes lines many, and on eacli are many towels revolving cilgeways in the snn. They dry and Meac'li in no time. The machine has heen click, clickinj^ ever since I came. What an almij^hty fine water-power tliis little dam at Niagara is, to he sure. T went to Goat Island and found 07° rather too much. The ]ilace was crowded with excursionists, so I wandered hack and dined, and then in the cool of the evening wan- dered down and sketched. Thursday, 23. — I have l)een hack to fetch my cup which I left hehind me, and there I found it at the feet of a man who had not seen it. That's luck ! I have heen making ruhbings, and buying photographs, and sketching from the suspension bridge, and fixing and mounting the result of my morning's work. A Briton witli a very strong accent of Yankee-English joined me, and we fraternizijd. He is going my way, and we may fraternize more. Surely this is one of the pleasantest places I ever was in ! That morning water- spout is worth the journey. Now I shall post this and go on with the journal when the fit takes me. J. r. c. No. VI. NiAfiARA, Afim'Id.i, July 27th, 1S74. My dear Mother, Here I am still. I cannot tear myself from these baths and this beautiful place, but to-ni(trrow I must onwards, 80 I write my log. I have made nine sketches and three rubbings, and 1 have bought a lot of i)liotographs. lUit nothing can give the faintest idea of the beauty of these falls. The water is a sort of Prussian-blue emerald-green )\vcls n no since littlo nuch. lercd wan- vliich man living 11 tlic f my rit of going lie of I'ater- go on 874. these rVards, tliroo But tliese -green T. WATER CO LULUS. 29 r. colour wlicic it is clcui' dl' ;iii' Inihlilns tuul deej). WlRTe it comes over tlic lI(irscslio(i it is like iiotliin;^ else in tlie world. Tt is ii j^rcat 'lyww waviiii;- water curtain, edi^eil with dai'k jiiirple, \vli(!rt! the red rock ed,ne is seen tlirougli lulling water luui' nr live Teet ilce]) at least. Nearer and thinner and more hroken, a })riiniiinliuy ol' I'allinL,' watei' tells warm jairplo ai^ainst the ^I'eeii Ilmseshue ^yidf. Great stones helow glinniK'i' thrllu^ll the spiay, and clian,ne IVoni hLudv to purple, and pal(i I)lue, and \anisli as the clouds oF spray go and come. J)aik ureen and warm purjile waves helow fade into tht! cliiud like the stones. The white Canadian fall shines white through the cloud like silver gauze, while the cloud itself changes like a dim lainhow of purjde, and green, and blue, and ytdlow. Last night the setting sun lit up a great orange cloud hdiind tiie dark baidv of trees in Canada, and the contrast made the falls like licj^uid jewels. 1 sketched, but Turner cnuld not have imitat(!d this. I defy all painters to copy NiagaiM. I have got the route from a Manchester man. I have inviteil him to your house, of course. Now for some of the legends of Niagara from the bar- man. " You see, sir, these hackmeu will \.\\\ you a lot of lies; I'll t(!ll j^iu some true stoi'ies. There was a d( tag, and quite a many people see liim go out into the river on the Canadian side, and tliey see him canied over the falls. They never thought to sei^ more; of inm, but that sana; (evening ^Ir. doag comes hoani, he ran u]) the path down there by tho suspension bridge, and he was none tho worse. That's tho only living ci'ealure that ever went over tho hdls and lived. There was anolhei' doag, and whether ho went over tho falls or not 1 don't know, hut ho swam ashore down by the old T 80 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. suspension brid^'o, under the rock where no man eouhl ^'et at him, and there ho liv'ed for two years. Of course lie had plenty of water down tliere, and tlicy uscmI to tln'ow him down food. Tliey call the jthicc the Doaj,' Kock now. Tiierc was a party of eiy ten we had passed Paris and London and Win])ed its bones in the usual mtinner. Then it took a tit tit' going, grunted, and ^et off without warning, as is th(! fasliion of American trains. I .scrand)led in and went to bed. The sloping roofs on either side of the cars had come down as shelves. The seats had somehow turned into a hnver sludf, a foot-board and head-board divided each compartment from its ;;ighbour, and i\w.r(.\ I I'oimd a bed broad enough for two, with ])il]()ws to match, and strijx'd curtains hung up, and shecits and lilaid'Cets; so 1 dolled my coat and shoes and turned in. Presently 1 tbund tliat we were many and the air frowzy, so I opened my window and pulled down the l)lind, and shipt like u top till uunshine told me to get up. "flO FKTCII THE ENGINES." 3/, I " Now because tlie curs are long ami springy and because tbcy are exceedingly well luaile, tlie Tiiotiou is utterly un- like railway inntidu in i'lngland. 'I'here is no sideloriL; rattle and roll, no jar and little noise. With an easy swing- ing, seesaw tnovenient on I went, feet foremost, sleeping ;is if I wei'e at home in my own bed. So that is my first ('.xi)erience of a Pullman sleeping-car. While \ was wash- ing my face, the attendant Nigger had clumged two beds into a roof and iuur seats, ami I sat on one, and looked at my neighbours, male and feiuah,', iiiid thought how cixceed- ingly uninteresting we all are when half dressed. And so I got to Chicago as fref^h as jiaint, fed and washed, Ibund my luggage in my r(»om, and wrote this letter, my journal and my meteorological log; and then [ went out to smoke and see the ruins. This town, which is not so old as I aiu, wlii(di was utterly destroyed about three years ago, now is like Talis i'or size and bustle, with wider streets and shops nearly as giand. This house is a small j)alace. with gas and water everywhere, red velvet and marble, and mosfjuito cui'lains, walnut pi'esses, and room to dine many hundreds of guests. The old house demolished l»y the fire was hoisted bodily out of tlm mud after it was first built. This is a go-ahead countiy for railways and city building, and that's a fa(t, I guess. Thursday, Jnhj .'id. — Al)out >f steam and sparks half as hij;ii as the houses, and t,he whol,. Hock spouted water into the fire. It ,grcw till (he flames came out of the roof, and they .uot (lie hc!tcr ol' it. More steam dragons came u]) and were wcliM)m('(l. niiil then l.hey sto{)])eil and went away again, as they were n()( wanted. Three or four ri'inained woi'king, hut they had heat ihclii'o, and so 1 went to hcd again, and sle[)t. Theiv was n.i crowd, not a dozen sjieetators in the streiit, and m.hddy seeiai'd to 'Uire a jot fur the lliv. The steam watcr-diMguiis had (he whole to (hi'iiiscl vcs. Ahnut eight, three great roars from a liassing train or iVom (]h> shining di'agons of (he hrillian! eyes awoke me agiiin. I looked out, and tlierc was tic street looking as it looked ovcrnighi — hiisv and careless. The jilace hui'iieil seems to be a warehouse ''or pipes, leaf- tobacco, and carpets. Only (wo or three of the o]»posiie neighbours lit theii' gas in the heat of the seriiiim:ige. I have got my tickets for San Francisco (lis dollai's), and mean to start to-moi'i'ow, and stop at a gi'cat nianv places by (he way. J exi)ect to lind Ie(ters when I arriv(>. I hardly cxjiect (o havi' tiiia' to wri(e more of ihis kind, l)n(, wjien I have (inn; for (ha( i)ur|iosi' I will tell you my tale. l\Tean( ime good-bye. d. J'. C. Lo;/. — Dne of my fellow-travellers heivabmUs was a (imlni' and S(|uared oak merehaid redirning from s(ar(ing a raft about T'JOO feet long for the St. I/iwnMicc?, and bound for ^lilwaukie and eLsi!V her- in fdl r.iow. Ibrest.i. Oaks "ww CELTIC CANADIANS. ;(11 over this tract and farther north and west. INFy ue- (juaintance came froui a land wliere the forests are chieily lieather, and the oaks are underground in peat Ijog.s. ]{(' buys land and cuts timber " right away." The soil is dee[> and rich — black loam over strong clay. When they sink wells thry get to lime and oil. Geologists say that coal is lower down, but no one has tried as yet. T,ake St. Clair is a grand jilace for ducks; one man killed eighty-two brace in one day at a place on Lake Erie. That belongs to a .Joint Stock Company ; men go there and pay some dollar.^ j)er day ; a punt man is servant and included in the rent of this shooting. Sjiortsmen pay, and slay ducks in September and October. " If you come back in the fall," said my Canadian Gael. " 1 will get you plenty of good duck-shooting." •' Thank you," said I, " I am going on westwards till I get home IJ.V.'' From all that I hear, Highlanders make excellent farmers and lumberers. The Scotch generally flourish. So do Nor- wegians in Minnesota. The Norse girls are famous to bind wheat. A girl will earn three dollars a dav : they are as good as men. No wonder that men marvel at the strength of Sa'tar Pigas when they live amongst Aveak womeu whom I see hereabouts, One ^lacLellan, a Canadian about twenty-five or thirty years of age, beat Dinnic (piite lately, and all Canada is proud of the athlete. In 1847. MacLellan from Islay beat all Inverary and all comers. Islay men about Itowmore are nourishing greatly. The way to IJowmore was the way to church when I was young. Tlu! way to go there now is to go to Toronto and then North-AVest. 1 38 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. " And how do you account for tlio fact that trees grow in these parts and do not grow elsewliere west?" " Well, sir, the only way that 1 can account ibr it is, that within some late period the country was submerged," said the feller of oak forests. " Some jiart of tlie prairie is low(!r tlian Lake Michigan. They dug a little, and now tlie water runs out mi iward to the CJulf of i\Ie.\ico instead of running eastwards, as it used to do, iuto Lake Michigan on its way to the Gulf of St. Lawrence." 1 wonder how many practical men I should iind in tlie old country able to tell nu; so much that 1 wanted to know wln'le wldrling ])ast London, I'aris, Windsor, and otlier towns wliose namesalces are here in tlie wilds. This is a grand country for men with brains to migrate to. But it's not .all velvet. 1 heard of the proud bearing of trains of Highlanders passing through this land suffering the pangs of liunger and thirst, dusty and footsore and travel-stained, too ])0()r to buy the food for which they were too proud to ask, and fed by th(jse of their kind wIkj had gone before and had enough to spare for kindred souls and bodies. The fact remains, emigrants have a rough time; of it unless they carry enough for their needs. Natural selection of the strongest and lltte.st nas made this strong population by slaying the weak. All the people wiio conu^. out hen; are not quiet, sober, industrious sons of toil. After writing my letter home 1 went to see the burned town. I wanted something to carry me, for the heat was terrible, and hailed a hack, as men hail a hansom. The fai-e was live dollars for two hours — say aboiit one pound one. I took the cars instead, and paid five cents (about 2^d.) for leave to drive all over the town, for THE KED BUrtNEHS. 39 the wliole day, I believe. That is Republican. If anybody chooses to be an " Ari.sto" and hire a fiacre, he must pay for a hack. I drove Kepublican fashion, and walked to the water- works and 133 steps up to the top of a tower 200 feet higii. Tlie tower rocked in the strong westerly breeze. The view- over the town on the flat shore, with the blue lake in a heat haze, was curious and strange. Why, 1 know not, but it took ine back to Kuopio in Finland and to the to[) of a tower on a hill there. This tower is the highest jjoint between these American lakes antl the Mississi]»)ti. Tlie engineer in the ])ump-room asked tenderly after tlie welfare of Liverpool. He had traded there as steam-boat engineer. "There's three or four fires burning now," he said. " There's a lot of darned rascals in tliis town. They do it on ])urj)Ose. They tele- graph here about (ires, and they have not rung them out yet." I know very well why that shoit speech took me back to l^iris and to Easter 1871; nnd showed me the crowd of faces about the Porte Maillot, where all the rogues in the world appeared by dej)uties and rcijircsentatives from luirope and from America. I beg'an to realize that Eed liejjublics are possible in older liej)ublics. I noticed that an American lly-wheel was cast in many bits. " I would not like to see it make thirty revolutions," said the engineer. If Boston be the Hub of the world and steady, Chicago seems to be at the circumference ; and the wheel may go off at a tangent if it goes too fast, and makes red-hot revolutions. A little of the frost of Scandinavia and Scotland may be useful where there is so nmch petroleum, and where there are so nuiny petro- leuses. " That tower of yours is rocking," I said. " I should not wonder if it came down some day." " I'lease (lud it 40 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. don't come tliis ^vily," Siiid the t'ligineer. " Aiiu'ii." said I. I look tli(> curs ng-ain. and drove up State Street to see the ruins of last tire. Tliey are ruins. Those of ]\iris whicli I saw at the end of 187o were notlnn;^ to them, and yet tliey were "some puin])kiiis." Here and there a tent or a shanty sheltereil tlie ground-landlords, and Gernuins were sellinu; lairer heer from sheds. Directions of the hurned-out citizens — doctors, dentists, merchants, ])arsons, and all the classes who own ])roperty, and wish for u quiet lie[)ul)lic that Iniilds waterworks to extinguish lied tires — were stuck about on lioanis. The black ground under them was strewed with glass and a tangle of pi])es, of all kinds, sorts, and sizes, and yet fresh fii'es were still red-hot, with water ])layiiig on them to e,\tinguish them, pumped out of the blue lake l)y that tly-wh(!el in many bits, which the engineer would not like to see make thirty revolutions. 1 went home to my own room, and read the daily papers, to my great discontent. If the American people keep their j)re.ss-gang going at such speed in such a mess, they have need of a steady old Hub at Boston to act l)i'ake for the flying-wheels of their old family coach, and some autocrat at their bi'eakfast-ta])le to give them wholesome mental food. All the ])eo)de who come out here are not sober, indus- trious, hard-handed sons of toil. 'J'he Ouvrier of 1348 and the Fenian of 1875 are here in Ibrce, stirring tij) strife and poking fires in the engine-room. Angcs d'en has. I saw a great deal between Chicago and Cheyenne which has gone into the geological pigeon-hole. At the Missouri I fell in with my fii'st Indians. I stalked, and tried to trap T .inllN IS A (lOOl) INDIAN. 41 ;iu did riiwiicc winiiiin. As soon as she l\vi,LrL!;('(l what I wiis iiboiit slio covered up hev towsy lilaek liair and skedaddled, it was all in \"ain to hiile behind posts and inside cars. She A\as very wihl and ]ii(tures(jue, and far tve went fizzing over the ])lains. 1 saw my lirst jirairie dog sitting at the mouth of his rulillcial volcano. It can't rain much where beasts live in o])en funnels. I saw herds of black cattle in the di.stance. All the tame kye are coloure(l, so these wore my iirst buffaloes. I saw great numbers of ant-hills, ])iles of gravel half-a-foot high, amongst small cacti, some with small INDIAN MAN OK llli: PLAINS ].. 4J. \i>\. i. LIVE STOCK AND LAXDSCAPK. 4:5 round fliit loaves, otliors nnind as u rihlicd (traii;j;(;. 'I'liti ,L,M'ass- li(t|»l)er.s, which liiivo devaHlalcd Mijine.S(tta and liidds of Indian corn all n\) this line, were in shinin^f clouds all the way to the lioeky Mountains. AVlieii we .stei)j)ed oil' the cars at a halt, they rose whirrin;,', a i^litterin^' cloud. The corn- stalks where they hail been were hare slicks. I'raiiie larks and hawks and antelojtes made the li.st oi' live stock noticed on this trail. Now it really was curious to <^t) whizzinjj; through the wildei-ness in a drawiiiLj; room, lookin;..^ at these wild creatures from j)late-glass windows. As 1 lay do/iuLj in my bed I could often fancy myself (^n a well-known High- land seashore, watching a burn digging in sand. Tiie burn was the I'latte river, the sand was the bed of tlu; stream, when the snow by melting sends a rolling flood over these dry sands. An old fellow at Omaha, finding that I could speak French, look a liking lo nu', and asked wheic 1 was going. "To (Jheyennc," I said. "Don't go there," he said ; "all the men are murderers and thieves; you will have your throat cut and lose your money." " r>ut," said T, " there nnisl bo a station and a hotel there." " Xon, monsieur, there is nothing of the kind." r»ut neverlheless I went to Cheyenne and found an excellent hotel, anil a good statiini, and very good food, and nobody seemed to have the smallest wish to cut my ])urse or my throat. 1 see no ])ossible reason for tiying to fi'ighten me from ('heyenne, so conclude that ]>eo{tle who do not travel in America, as elsewhere, need instruction. The country is so vast that diflerent states are as European countries, and their inhabitants are as foreigners. One very jthnisant fellow- traveller said that when he first went west, a little bov, none 44 MY CIRCUr.AI! NOTES. of t])e otlier little lioys would play with liiiii liecause lie was a " liliie l)elly." I ivnieiuber that Queen Elizabeth cal1v."i certain Irislnuen "Yellow bellies" because they woi'e yi-llow wai.stlielts at a great game, but I ibrget which Aniei'ican statt- is inhabited by " IJlue l»ellies." It is said that Lincolnsliire lads are like their fellows the dneks, and have speckled bellies and wel)bed I'eet. Nova Scolians ai'e " iJlue noses"; every state in America in like manner has a nickname, and Cheyenne earned a very bad name indeed when my Canadian French American friend was a little boy. The little lUne belly bathed and then the other little boys saw that he was of tiieir kind ami harmless, and jjlayed witli Iiim thenceforth. So 1 went to Cheyenne and saw that it was human and rather civili/cnl. It hjoked so, and behaved well to me. But the west is a wild country, and wild spirits roam there. At the station near Colorado Springs two rival drivers had a difFiciilty. (_)ne was slemler and vicious, and lie jtounceul down from a 'bus on a big, lilulf, bull-lieaded, })rize-lighting sort of man in boots and shirtslee\cs, who had been a captain. lie forthwith tiirew his foe oil' the ]>latl'oi'm down live feet amongst heels and wheels and sand. If he was slender he was as vicious as a wild cat, and f:dl of jiluck. lie rose, clindjcd up, and charged again, bleeding fvom a cul. Thereu])on the big captain got his knob in chancery and tap])ed his claret, and reduced his face to 1)1' stood (lrii>iiiii,u- ,uoiv, over 1 lie ste])S of lliL' curs, and sliakiii-'. Hf wa^. IkmU'Ii, l>ut he did iioL want to uivc in. 1 was looking for tin; ivvolvcr and ])rei)aring to LTct out of the line of liiv. " Kh '. ln''s liad enou-li," said tlio captain ; " that will tcadi von to I'M]) down on um a;4ain. ' 8o t.lu" dilliculty ended. I'lvsently the 'buses started for Colo- rado Spring-, r.ut for that sava-e yell for a knife, the fi.uiit was a re;.;ular ^'ood mill. I never saw anybody pit a more complete tlirashin:4-, even at Klon, when; I saw 15 . thrash Windsor Clnnnmy, a sweep, and where I ;4ot my own tetlli (diipped at Windsor fair, and ,i;-ot thrashed l.y one of th(^ " cdods." Xo. VI IT. MAN.Tcr, NT. \i; I'lKi'.'s Tkak, and C'oi.oitAiio Si>uiNf;s, liocKV .MorNl'AINS, U'rdiii-silaii, Aiiijrmt i/h, 137 J. Mv uF.Ai; M(vnii:n, Kroni <"hica;^o at 10 on Friilay last I started an 1 crossed IJK' plains to the Mississippi, thence to the Missoui'i, and then up the valley of th" I'latte river to ('heyoniie. I got there on Suiidav at noon. At midnielu I took a cross train to Denver and got here ISi) miles south at dinner tinav Two stage drivers had a good liiiht at the station, C'aiilain ]:og(n's of the (,'onfederale army got the head of his adversary into chancery and si>oiled his face awful. This great mountain, 14,0(11) feot nh(»V(> the sea, is a station for state meteorology. They live uj) there, ami lelegra]ih weather proliahililies, and the .'esult- i.-' satisfactory, for the weather does accord with jiro- hahililies eastward. Il'-rc we have rain and thunder daily 4C, VY rrRf'rr.Ai? notks!. ill the al'tcriKKiii, mid ;i I'an^'c from flO" lo ".)()'. This is ;i \vatei'iii;j;-]«l;u\', calknl ^MaiiitdU. Thcic is a lari^o liotcl ami many small ones, Iicsidc a lirawliiiL!,' inii'ii; Ifiiipcnitinv, HO '. 1 Iiv(! i'i a (k'tachcil cMtUam' amoiiLi'sL sumc Iret'S, and when so dis])ost'd iill a lodt-pail and halhc. There is a soda sprint,', wljieli is (K'licidus, and a veiy nice ii'on siifiiiLT, whicli is healtliy. All the ju'dplc ai'e sick. " What is ymir cDniplaint, sir?" said a man to mt\ "I liaxf not u'nt one, tliaid^ you," said I. "Anno Domini is my cliiel" ailment." Tiiis is (he queerest jilace 1 eviT saw I'oi' weailieretl r((cks. Nothiu'j,- can describe (liem ; they arc not e;;sy to draw, and photo^i'ajihs do not ,i:iv(' the colon?'. 'I'lh^y aix' red and white, and all shapes. Some arc like i^iatit mushrooms, others like anvih-5 and iii^ures with flat ca]is on. Some are spii'es, and pinnacles, and towers, and statues, ami lout;' n;urow (Mnnhs, '.',{){) i'uct iiiu'h, with holes and ca\es t hi'oU'ih tliem. The dark u'i'ecns and lirilliant reds against tlii! distant hills heat everylhiii:^' for colour. These are triassic, .u'l'ils, and pehhle-heds, and ffyjtsuni ami sandstone, all I'anhed and tossed al)out in the inosfc fantastic, j^eolo^ical fashion. 1 j-.: an to make mor(! sk('t(dies, and huy jihotoiiraphs. Now I am off to S('(; a canon nine miles in a hu^L;y, foi- I find walking' iiard work in this Ljival heat, 1 mean to ,u;o to the top of the peak helorci I stai't for t'heyeinie a;i-aiii, and jiick up mv tiMps and _qo on westwards, lli'iv my haroineier s-lands at Hil'lDH. 1 hav(! seen Indians in plenty, deer, hnlfaloes, prairie; do;_;s, and chickens, all out of a wimlow. 1 sh'pt th(; sleep of the blessed in the sleepiiiLii-cai's, and lotikeij laii of a drawing-room on wheels at the wild prairies of the !''ar West. (Here mak(! mure sage relleetions on steam.) 1 niiL.';ht ttde^rajih to you > ■a o o o a; a tmmt if it old. 2 a sl< lot ( Isa did lots will lio ' sna pasi sho frat He at t and wal cxc aili iVoi hvo aiu loti tlu- tak bel an( thi amt ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCOTCH IIIOIILANDERS. if it were Tvurlh while, and yvX this place is not ten years old. Tkarsddii, 5.— I went to my Cheyenne canon and made a sketch, and canu' hack all v'vj}\i. On the way I ]'assed a lot oC prairie doLi,s. We stopped, and got out the hinocular, and T saw tlu! lirules as clearly as if I were heside them. They did nie tlie favour to yelo. My hoy, a Yorkshire Lid, has liad lots of tlicni as pets, lie drowned them out of their holes with a jiail of water. 1I(! also slew many rattlesnakes when he was a shce]) stock-hoy out in the jdains. Do^-s, owls, and snakes live toj^ether in these holes amicaltly. licturning, we passed an old fellow ridini^'. "Bheil Gaelic a^ad ? " soon showed that Mr. JUair was a Perthshire Ilii^hlander, and we fraternized instantly. He is fifty-four, and yrey as a haih^^er. He is justice of ]i(!ace, landowner, and general manaj^er here at the springs. This morning he came to fetch me for a walk, and we have heen dawdling ahout and drinking quarts of water. 'i"he springs ai'e all delicious, temperature GO", taste excellent, boiling up with carbonic acid, and good for vni'ious ailments, of which I liave none but laziness and weakness from the heat. AVe l\'ll in with a workman from liairloch, brother to tlie gamekeeper. Of course we jabbered Gaelic, and shook hands a good ileal. A Mullman is here, ami lots of other Scotchiuen, who are all ilourishing. Amongst these grand hills they seem as hap])y as kings; but tl; y lake the strongest interest in the old country and all that belongs to it. " Oli, but I was ])leased when 1 came here and saw the hills again," said one to me with effusion. All my own geological speculations are in the log, where this is to go. The main result is, that 1 believe this to be 4S MY CIRCULAR NOTES. un ancient seacoast, and the Aveatlici'eil rocks tlie \vf)i'k of waves. 1 find none al)ove a certain level. I find no marks of the "Ice Cap," and have ceasi'd to hidieve in it altoj^rether. Personal adventnres I liave none to tell. The peoi)le ]day at croqnet, and sing and ride in hahits, ami the wonicn dress in long-tailed gowns and swell sleeves. Most of them are sick, and nobody seems to fraternize with me. An Ayrshire man, who is a good walker, is the only social )le crc^ature I have found. 80 I spend my time nuich alone — drawing, writing, and .smoking. I go to bed at dark, rise at daylight, help myself to fresh water from the l)urn, and enjoy life. The best pait of travelling is sitting still at a jjleasant ])lace, with Nature's soda-water to drink, or witii cataract-baths, like those of Niagara. And now I shall send off this letter and dine. T have not dined for two days, having been out all day hmg. I have druidc nothing stronger than coffee for a wecik. T may sen(.i von some photograjjlis if they come off the cards. To-morrow I mean to try the ]ieak, and if I find it too hard \\-ork 1 will sto]) where the horses sto]>. and ride down again. J. ]'. C. No. IX. .S.\i,r Lakf, City, AikjhM 12//;, 1871. My DEAll .MoTIIKd, I gdt in here last night and found gas and all oth(T lu.xuries. Ladies with long nnislin ti'ains wero sailing and trailing ahout in the dust arm in arm with niaU; swells. Some one remarked that single men walked with half-a-dozen SALT WATER AND SKEDY SAINTS. 40 of women, and these wq concluded to he tlieir wives. We heard Norwei^iaii and Enj^lislx of many jirovinces, and all manner of outlandish ton^mes, all gathered into this queer mountain basin i'ull of salt water and saints. Something docs not agree with them, for they all look seedy and waslied out. It is as hot as a furnace, and yesterday morning we had a frost. Tliat sort of thing may disagree with the saints of Utah, or something else may ; but tlie I'act is that tliey look seedy exceedingly. I went u)i I'ike's Teak oidy as far as T could ride, or rather scramble, with an old Imrse. At 90'Fahr., and liily-two of age and 230 lbs. of weight. I would not face 1,500 feet of rough ground with seven Yaidoots is iVom Yorl-;sliire, anotlier is I'rom Xotlingham. Half the wives are fi'om Wales. Tlie master has tliree, and Brigham Young lias hfty. I have none. ]\ry chief atMiiiaintance in the cai's was an ohl general, who offers to eutei'taiu me il' 1 go soulli. He is a notorious Indian warrior, ami used to seal]) his slain men himself, so I am told. He looks ratluu' like Lord Clyde. If 1 i. an, I wdl go see VOL. I. E 50 MY CIRCULAIl NOTKS. his pliico. I also met a good fellow going to New Y(jrk on the other train, who turned out to be the man to wliom I liad a letter. AVe shook hands and parted. And now I must go out and face the sun. I see my shirts drying in the yard, and rejoice in tlie ])ros])ect of clean linen waslied by women who are saints. I luive no news, and 1 am, yours affectionately, J. F. C. Zo^.— Colorado Springs. Tnesclai/, Aurjud 4. — This is Eoljinson Crusoe life ; all alone in a cabin, with my bags hung on pegs, employing myself as if I were at home. The sun shines through a round hole, and tells me when it is time to go to breakfast by walking ahjiig the boards. A tourist bragged that he had been up and down Pike's Peak in twelve hours ; he rode most of the way. "I walk like a greyhound," said a slim little man ; " I have little nurscle, but what I have is good." "I am too old to walk," I said. " You are too fat," said the lean man. " You don't look as if there Nsas much the matter with you," said anothei', "I had dysjiepsia." I hadn't, so I tinished my breakfast and went back to the Imt. Ay gust 4. — Walked dowu stream east, and was overtaken by Dr. Ifayden, U.S. geologist, on the outside of a horse. Tie had found me out, and we had some jdeasant geological talk to my great profit, I crossed the river on a plank bridge, and went over the sandstone hills wondering. I stopped at last and made a sketch. These red rocks, disturbed by the up- heaval of the liocky Mountains, are faulted right on c-dge, and are partially turned over at the Garden of the (lods, and elsewliere to the north and south. But the remarkable T x\ hi: !) HOCKS, MEN AND BEASTS. fl m - f,'oolo<^fical feature licrc! is tlu; woiitliuriji;^'. The pillar sketched is one of many hundreds. I only drew it ])eeaus(i it came in my way. (!reat red and ^'r(>y mu.shrooms of sandstone seem to j,M'o\v' in the woods Iteside oak trees. Gnjat masts and scaffolds of rc(l sandstoiie stand heside trees, and hjcjk as if they formed jiait of the same j,n'ou]>. ]Jed idols sit on pedestals in the midst of ^Teensward. In short, this is the most fantastic weatherinif that ever I saw away from a sear(»ast. In "Something from the j,'old di.u^^inns of Siitlnnland" L tiied to draw rock mnshrocmis, which there seem to grow in the sea which carves them. Here they grow in the forest. Gradu- ally I got to think that this must be the old searoast of the American houlder period. Among these quaint dry red rocks, T fell in with a man and a collie dog driving (;ows. He was Itorn in London, and is an .\meri(;an. The cows, I take it, were Ayrshires, and the Collie from the Highland hills, 1 left them and watched the ants. They arc little hi'own fellows and make a small mound of sand, which weathers oif the stone images. In the mound is a hole at one side. It is a heautil'ul structure, carefully l)uilt and cemented ; I had tlui wickedness to poke my stick into one round hill, and break the dome. Inside the mound was all galleiies and chandiers. Out rushed the Luililers in furious haste, tund)liiig headlong in the chasm which T had maile, and I'olling stones as big as ihemselvi s into the breach, woi'king Ibr dear life to rejiair the damage and keej) out the rain. Left them and got U) the Garden of the Gods. There the edge is 3U0 feet u]», lifted like ice in a I)ond, but weathered like the Xeedles in the Lsle of Wight. One bed is red, the next white, and the contrast of colour ii f>2 MY CrUCUI.AU NOTES. cxtranvdiniiry. A lot of .Siinday Scliool diildren out on ii frolic were ycllinir all about, lioys clinibud to the ti])-toi> in a rift, which wt)uld he called a chinniey in the Alps; they stood u]in;j,ht on the to])nio.st jiinnacle, and there san<,' and shouted. When I was youn<,'er I stood on the maintop of the Bcnhou; hut "you could not do it now," as u eonipli- nicntary Hi^'hlandersaid. An old fellow came and discoursed me |)leasanlly : I like these rou,eo])le. Then I walked hack : my pedometer marked eij^ht miles ; the j^lass was 80° to 00°, and the air nm;4^'y. I had no water to drink all day till 1 ^^ot hack to the burn, imkI I was thirsty and tired and too late to dine. I sat m(! down on a ]o^ and smoked. A trood-lookin,iLf yoiiii^- i'dlow sto[)])ed and said, "May 1 bej,' a ])ipc of tobacco ? " " That you shall have and welcome," said I, so we sat there and fraternized. He had been round the country ,u,dld ])ros])ectinj,' in the south-west. He pulled out his maj) and described the cafion country as " the most darned infernal roii;j:h country that man ever saw. The rocks are every way up on edge, and the mountains higher than that one up there." 7'he most curious rocks were red rocks, " like these, only darker red, wiili a eaj) of white granite on the top, many thousands of feet higli." Tliat is the right sort of man, frank and free. He has been walking ever since ]\Iay with a pack team of " Jacks " (nudes), and he can walk as far as a horse. He and his two mates had a tent, and slept under three blankets. The water froze in their kettles every uight. They were high, very high, and in "the most darned rough country that ever was seen." They ran out oi" grub once. It seems the climate about latitude 37 on these Rocky Mountains is something like the climate of liussian Lapland in VAGRANTS AND TOUUISTS. al)out Lako Kiiare, where I slept in u teiiL under all tlie \vra]).s I liad, and awoke to find my kettle frozen, and where I walked with a ])ack team of several Finns and a reindeer, from the Polar hasin to the head waters of the Kenu. What a bond of union a ])ii)t! of hacey is between ])eoi)le who lovt^ rou. — I'jt with the sun, fetdu'd a jiaii of water and bathed, hired a Iniiij^y and drove otf at ten, nine miles, to look at a eafion. Up it I wadisd aneyond the delta whose apex is in the canoii. Tliursd'ty, (;. — Wandered aliout the si)ring.s a'ld fraternized with the Highlanders, and drank walei'. This gi'a'ute is all crumliling in the touch, and Avater makes new canons in a few hours ; all the glens are Y-shajied. My Yorkshire driver vim came IVout r,iiicolnshire assured me that he lav! oi'ien found clams and cockle-shells about the foot }alls, south about twenty ndh'S, where he used to herd sheep, and hunt rattlesnakes. Tlu; shells were; in {la; loose soil, not in the rocks, and were like lancoliishire shells. J did not see the shells, and I know that cretaceous fossils weather out (jf rocks in this region. In the; evening I made; a sketch, to the music of the usual evening thunder. After the storm parsed eastwards to the plains, the sun shone on the cloud and made the grandest naasses of light- that I ever saw. The red rocks tui-ned dark purjile. While I was working a gleam of suuli'^du made them ghiw like rc(l-liot iron against the I'alhng rail of the black undcr-surfacc df the rain-cloud. It swept awi y in the plains, uihI nighl fell codl, quiet, and ch^ar. "Are n ^t tliese grand liills !• " I said to the Eoss-shire man. "Ilucii." said he, " liua'c's no heather on them, and no water." " IaH's liip.ior," ^ nd i ; and we had a dram all round, and shook hanils, and jabbiTcd (iaelic. Fridiiij, 7. — l']t before daylight, (hit some grub and some pocket luncheon, and movnted a white steed composed chiefly of sharp lioiies, with collar Jiiailvs on his neck and signs of age everywhere. Starteil ludbre six on a curi(ais saildle witli wooden stirru[)S, rode to the Clilf house, and there joined r DOWN HILL. seven natives of wJiom some ^ver'• vcj^ulav lii'^M'ty prairif} birds. AVilliout u '^n'ule or any oik; to mind tlic liorses, we rode ofT on " tlic trail." We jiassed tlie Ri)rin<,'s, and turned up a V-j^ailly of rotten <:ranite sand. AVe j:nt io a ridge and rode alon.L,' a knife-edf extensive glaciation. The rocks about, us were weathered tors, like those in Devonshire and ( 'oniwall. I ro(le with the rest some way up the I'cak to rj.niMi iVet above the sea and tlie tindier line, and llieii walked. ]\h ears were whizzing, the glas^ .-^tood at 85" in the air, at (V.V under a stone on the grass. T felt Aveak ; I had to kick my horse and fight with my slipping s.iddk idl tin way up. 1 saw a cou]>le of thousand I'eet ab ive me, so I ''ave it I'p. These cheery chicks from the I'Vairit'S oifered aid ..nM ga\i' it, ami one said, " I want to get you along with us," but lie went along hoi. ling his horse's tail and 1 sai and fed, and di'ank fresh snow-water, and gazed out over the vast ]ilaiii, and niminated all alone, as is my chief delight (ui high liiMs. Then I wandered slowdy down, hading my ketchin ' study- ing stones and the wondrou> landscape^, ])utting glaci rs into the hollows, and cos-eting t.ic plains with the sea, I led my o]«l staler slowl\ down to "La fontaiui (pa bouille" and 'Iraijk alxmt a gallon, jawing to old rough workmen who sat I'lmrid the well. "There's nothing to s(!e on the top when you get there but stone^ and all (Jod's e iitli under you,' said an (jld stager to whom hard worl was not ]ilay, who si'emed to admire my wi-don and huk of eiiergv in tui'iiing tail; and so end(:d an expedition tweh'e hours hmg, ])leasantlN if i^nominiouslv. Hatunhni, Ainj. 8. — .Sd in »ny '-diin with all ojien that could let in air, writing aiiil working. 'Sr:. lilair was sur- veying for new buililiiigs and iiliiry W(n'ks, none too .-^non. I wrot(! him a ]iap( i on th; or ^«»>\>us. \ STEAM TRAINS ANJ1 CATTLE TRAINS. r,[} So many peo])le and so iiiucli weiglit, so many tons liavo to Le carried and landed. That is well done, far better tlian it is anywliere else, liut for tlie rest a mai: must take care of his l)ox and lielp liimself. "Have you got my 1 lagtfage ? " said I to a niu'ger wlio was blacking Loots in tlie l>nr. "No," said tli(! nigger. " WIu'M ean I get it?" saiil I. "J guess you can't get it lil) nine," said darky, polisliiug solemnly Avhile lie rolled liis eyes and kioked comical. ""Where is the man who has my checdxs?" "He's aslctp." "Where are the checks?" said 1, ])ining for my clothes. " Ilight away there in the money drawer," said my eli(»ny friend: and there sure enough I fouuil my checks with a ])a]ier througl] them ilesiring somebody to rail me at eight. The checks and tlie money wei'e in an ojicn di'awer and everybody fast asleej), excejit the jiassenger who took his checks, got his luggage, and carried it to his room, and got his liar slicked down at last. This may be a vlen of thieves, but it does not look lik»' it. The rail lollows the emigrant trail. On 'J'uesday, 11th, we jtassed a caravan moving west. Tliei-o were thi'ce mounted men, with a herd of wild-looking cattle, three white tilt( d " wagons " drawn by teams of oxen, with women, children, and gear on board. They were clustered in itictures([ue groups about the yellow l)anks of a streamlet under vellow sandstone clitl's. In the hot glare of the sun they looked brown, dusty, and tiavel-stained. It used to cost six months to make this journey, now it is made in seven days. Hereabouts, only tw(dve miles from the rail, at Fort I'ridger, American troops are hemmed in by hostile Indians. We landed a party told olf from some other station to relieve the l>csiege(l. There were about half a dozen in this army, so the ; CO MY riUCl.'LAlt NOTKS. encniv wow, not slmtiLr. Hereabouts were tin; riinious din- inond fields in wliicli diamonds, diijr attlic. Cape of (lood Hope anJ iionglit in Lomlon, wore iilaiilcd in the Liood liojx; of cheating somebody. A geologist sent out to exnmiiie, at oiic"; exploded tlie sliam. Tlie rocks contain coal, dated Miocene. There are no pebbles about tlie ]ilac(! at all like ilinmond gravel, but tliousands of people lost lieavily in "claims" sold as rich in diamonds. It seems tliat tliey don't grow well when jiianted. T\\v coal is sulphury and bad. At dinner-time 1 looked at a great block of coal ])lante(l on tlie platfoi'in. It secnned to lie of excellent (pnditv ; ])ossi])lyit was agenuine article, ])ossibly it was a l'la(dv diamond impoiteil IVom else- where and planted on the ilat i>latform by the 'cuite tril>e who are at war with the natives and ]ircy on the emigrants. A carriage at Salt Lake City costs tlu'ci; dollars (12s. 6d.) an hour. 1 Avonder how much it (.'arns in a month. I in(dine to suspect as nmcli a-i I mean to invent in coacli hire ami dia- mond ( laims, and iMuma shares. I can't allbrd these luxuri(!S. I wrote letters at Salt Lake and then walked U]i ;inil down ^oO feet ovei' twelve steps of rolled gravtd whii'li mark the old lake levcds. I reckon from renniants of gra\ d on the hilNides that these benches must be GOO feet higher than the ])resent lake level. 1 sat and sketched and thought of the Ciispiaii. The Salt Lake, eighteen mile-; away to the w.st, gleanieil lilce silver in the evening sun, and th(> \. hole scene was hot with yellow light. 1 mnci' saw iinylhing quite liki; this behn'e ; a i)iclure of the lluerta of (Iranada, with the Sierra Nevada, is most like l:ies(! hills iind hoi plains, in my mental picture gallery. TlaMiver water pouring from the siiowclad hills is fresh and excellent. There is not a trace of salt in it. 'CUTE TRIBES, AND .SAI/l'iOI) CLAIMS. 01 , Vov ii'ri,!4ati()ii uiid Idwii i..scs open cuts lend tlu! ■w.iter iiloiic^ the liillside. All ciist jukI west streets are on tlie lake shelves. All the iKutli ami Sdiitli streets luii ii|i and (hnvu the terraees. TIh;}' are as clearly marked as the terraces at Alteii, in Xdiwiiy. Tlu! uhiss here stciod at 'JS' in my ])Ocket, at T")^ in the coldest place 1 could iind. Eva{)oration was e.xees.sive. Water-colours driei! wjili extraordinary rapidity. T was ])arched with thirst close to a'lundance of (excellent water, which T could see and lieai, Imt could not reach without a sci'and)le down iiit(j a trench cut hy a hum in the old hench hinds which avr, likc^ lieaches. These saints are located on the hottom of a drad sea, partially dried up. ir the old Dead Sea wca'e tn dry nj), it mi^'ht uncover a eoujile . There are many ways of ^ettin^ u]i a suliject; one favourite plan is to interview sonu; leader, and iiin>t jicdple avIio come here interview the ]iresident, lhiL;];;im ^'inini:, or one or more of liis " t\vtd\ e iipii I les.'' 1 ])iiT('r In inl er\ lew fi iHnwers M"hen I want to L^ct at the trutli. " I on siill an Mnulisluuan," snid cue; " Uit lor my rrlij^iou I wmild '^o hack to the old country. Here, sii', is license, not liherty." I thouj^ht that laws afleclinj,' hi^amists are the chief impediments to a general skedaddle of saints from the dry hnllniu of Salt Lake C2 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. and the Sulpliur Spring's, but I did iK^t venture to say so. I fraternized witli the Gentile pli(jturs of tlie Humbohlt. An Indian of the Slioshoncs, in tights and a red shirt, leaning on a fence- fi4 MV cnU'ULAIl XOTKS. p(il((, M'itli ii (Irad wild yousc in liis li.-iml, \v;is llic, iiii).4 ])!(•- turusqiKj (iliject visililc, so I skdclicd Iiim. l-'or tlic ivsL of the day \vc kcj)! (Hi duwii llic IIuiuLoldt Nidlcy. Tliciv was little water in tlic riviT. There is tiKuc, in (Jhoiaiy. it winds in a ^reat ]ilain ol' sand and sa^^adtrush, liiniiidi'd on each side by sandstone sierras. At the base is a niaiked water-line with a hi_i;her plain, into winch water has cut, so as to make bluffs. Small side-streams have, cut small canons from the sierras lhrou;4li the npper jilain to the lower, in which tlu^ Humboldt winds. The \alley I'or this wliol(! thiy's run is like that of the lihiiu' alH)ve. liin^eii, bnt "without the lihine. Ui^ht ami left ojn'U _^reat Hats of the same kind, Ixainded by hills of the same pattern, reachiuLC as far as the hoi'izon, and beyond it. CJreat whiilin.u pillars of yellow dust were inovinu slowly about this stran;4e weird country, which seems to me a dried lake or part (d" an old s(;a-botloni. 'Jdie minini,M'e;^ions of California, &c., begin in ciystallinci rocks, near extinct volcanoes. East of these ai'e disturbed bent strata of lower carboniferous rocks. East of thesi; are Tin- distiirbiid coal-fields, dated Miocene, which end at a rid;^e of pink granite, a\NI' -I'll IN'. V \i 1 I \ I --l. \n! i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) Y A :/- u. 1.0 I.I 150 ""^ |2.5 m '- IIIIIM 1.8 IL25 11111.4 IIIIII.6 V] <^ /] 7: (^ 7 z;^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY 14S80 (716) 872-4503 \ la y< T( T( a Ic th al (le as w] sp thi W( so is so ha aU GDI wii WO lias (Jo] M uot not DUST AND DRYNESS. 65 In order to convey my own impression of tliis strange land to otliers, I would say to a Eussian, " The plains are like your plains, and the hills like small copies of the Caucasus." To a Greek I would say, " The hills are like the Greek hills." To a Crimean I would compare them to Crimean hills. To a Swiss, a Norwegian, a Scotchman, a Welshman, and an Icelander, I would say, " You never saw anything at all like this country in your dreams, unless you have been dreaming about the Israelites in the dry deserts in which they wan- dered when they were punished for their sins." At night we passed over the lied Desert and I was sound asleep. Into this hollow flow the Humboldt and otlier rivers which have very long courses and drain vast areas. They spread out in the Ked Desert and return to the sky whence they fall. Tiiey evaporate, and no wonder. All my seasoned wooden articles have warped ; my hannner haft has shrunk so that the head, stuck on by a famous tool maker in London, is loose. I drink gallons of water ; my paints and gums dry so fast that I can hardly use them. I hardly see a cloud ; it hardly ever rains in all this tract. I would not li e here for all the gold in California — I should dry up and become lilve one of tlie stuffed fish in the Utah Museum. Saturdai/, 15. — At one I was called by the black porter with whom I had smoked several sociable pipes to his great wonder. I rolled out, got a fresli ticket for a branch line, l)assed Carson, and at sunrise got to Virginia City on the ('omstock ledge. Hereabouts the struggle for life is going al full swing. Everyone for liimself is the rule of life ; men will not answer questions or lend a hand ^o anybody. They do nothing but their own work. Boxes they toss about, checks XOU I. 8 66 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. they work with marvellous accuracy ; they run rails and carry men and goods, and do business well, to earn dollars ; but any sign of decent civility I have not seen off the cars for a long time, unless I happen on a poor I'addy or a new comer, or an old stager, who wants to " stick me with a claim " or a "hunting business." All are preying on each other like tarantulas and dragon-flies ; spiders and flies. One man *lost heavily in our train at " three-card monte." Gamblers and " desperadoes " connnonly get into trains, act some part, pretending to be foolish miners, and trap migratory flies who are not yet " up to trap." Consequently everybody is armed and on guard, and in tlie humour depicted 1)y Punch in a cartoon some time ago. " There's a stranger, heave half a brick at him." As we steamed into Virginia City the j^as- sengers amused themselves by firing revolvers at the telegraph posts. It was a hot tire for a mile. No wonder I had to carry my own goods. My general impression of American travel is that a man in a Pullman car knows as much about it as a man in a Cunard steamer knows of life in the Atlantic. lie may see something out of his windows, he may see a buffalo, or a whale, a gull or a goose, and think he has seen a gi-eat deal ; but if he gets out of his palace afloat or on wheels he nuist swim or go down. If he goes overboard in the Thames he may find somebody to pull him out. If he gets out of his depth in the mining districts, he may sink or swim if some- body does not shove him under to rise upon him. This is pure Darwinian philosophy — the struggle for life in full force amongst men of Aryan race. After breakfast at six, walked down to the Virginia Con- ) THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. 07 t r, a solidated mine and loft my name for a man in aulhovity. The same lol'ty, frosty, cliilly mountain air of coldness, and keep your distance prevailetl cverywliere. I realized tliat 1 might he a Stock-Johher and went away. Every eye said I>lainly " Yon f/et," which is Californian for the Irish " f let out of that." " Yvnhet" — you may bet safely that I did. Wlien secretary to the Mines commission and to tlie Coal commis- sion I went down enough of deep mines to know that I should see very little by tlie light of a miner's candle, that I should sjioil my clothes, and pidbahly hurt my shins and break my liead in the dark; that I slioidd l»e half suffocat(.'(l in very ill ventilated " ends," and that I should have to exert myself in a temperature which here is said to be 140° at tlu; bottom — 73" in my room was more than ])leasant. I weiit away and watclied an Indian woman walking iip the streitt with a small cliild stmpped .qniglit under a sunshade, in a kind of ark, slung mx her back. The imp looked contented, and wagged his arms like pendulums. Tiie town is on tlie side of a steep conical hill, with a dyke weathered out of it running E.W. or thereabouts. The gi'eat Comstock ledge seems to run N.S., that is on the strike They are down 2,000 feet, and attribute the heat in one level to the decomi)osition of suljihurets. If this temper- ature of \W is not a shave, it is the highest mining (emperatuni tliat I know. I armed myself Avith a hammer and a stone, and went out jirosjiecting for knowledge. " What (U> you work at ? " said a smith, who put iron wedges into my hanuner, and diil not want to be paid. "Qn'cd-ccfjiui rouH arcz dans Ic sad Est-cc qnc cuus avcz qi(cl(/ue fJiosr fl vendi-e 1 " said a French barber who was sitting at his door P 2 with a terrier clipped poodle fashion. Here he has been for twelve years, and he does not know anything about stones. A foreman politely took me to a new mine, and showed me the works, and a bucket of dirty water fresh drawn from the shaft which was full nearly to the In-im. A Welsh- man discoursed me, a man recoverin*^ from Panama fever, with a pretty Irish wife and bairns, who was shovelling,' for pastime in a garden. We fraternized over a spirit-level which came out of the bag, and I went in and sat in the best chair. I went up to the " crop," and so far as I can make out fi-om listening and looking and putting things together, I formed an opinion about this famcjus lode. Wild horses will not drag me into print with it. I will sell it if Californians will buy it. " You bet." I won't buy shares, " You get." There are The International, Gold Hill, Ophir, Virginia Consolidated, and a dozen more claims all claiming attention ; and I paid no sort of attention to any of their claims. I gave the miner all the knowledge I happened to have gratv<. I hope that he will make his fortune, for I had nothing to sell in my bag. I gathered that minaig here means getting ore enough to ballast the shares and make them sail into the market for sale. Enormous fortunes are made chielly by selling buyers, "You bet." The 140° of temperature fell to 112°, when tested by miners. They all cracked up IJritish Colund)iii as a better and richer country in all respects, and wondered wliy the British government does not push on the railwiiy. I dtjn't know and can't say. But if Com.stock ledge is such a liuid of gold it seems odd to go further out into the cold. I did not seem to want to stop in N'irginia City long, so I went away. for les. ved Wll sli- irer, for ich air. oiu am not tins et." uia on: [ to I to for ors, len I as rhy m't I of not ./. '■ ^j^ t^^ ifjr^^h.' "-i C'^'^ \ IMUAN WdMVN, 111' ANd !;U.I., ' \l;>■'.', \m| i GOING AHEAD TOO FAST. 69 Our train wasiimdi' u]t of wiij^-.u'oiis loaded with white quartz "oiii" t(i lie iHiunded and cleared ol' ''iM with luereury, and washed. It was a lot of flat eai-s, with one for passeufjers. The line is a wonderful work; it eurls and Avinds about the hill sides, in and out of V-shajted hollows, which show the geological structure. As T. sat the en-^ine and train curled before me like a snake, and wri,u-;,ded to balance itself. Some- times the en;j;ine disa]»i)eare(l round a corner, and all the way it was dangerous to look at. As emblem of jdace and l)eople, I drew a boy Avho sat in the brake of the gold train, like a mast-headed midshi])man, while another bold reckless being sat on the buffer of the engine, swinging his legs over the edge of tht; track in front of tin- wheels. That is young America going ahead in the far west. Energetic, heedless, and reckless. At Carson City, walkcil about iind fraternized with a fniit- seller, who was a very good fellow. Tried to draw an Indian woman, who saw what 1 was about and fled. Lots of French- men were seated at the door of a. saloon, jabbering, singing. and drinking- as if they were in Xormandy. French saloons and all manner of French goods and gear were on all sides. I heard Spanish, Fortuguese, Cerman, Chinese, and other liu'-'os. Since tlie Tower of P.abel there was no place like Carson. At night they all got gloriously drunk. When I awoke at dawn they were still singing. There was no quar- relling. One nuin spoke in bloodthirsty tones of " killing " somebody, but that seemed to be all talk. One rough character was seized with a generous tit, and cried : " Drinks all round." All the polyglot crowd about the hotel got uj) and wiped their mouths and went to the bar, and 70 MV CIRCITLAU XOTKS. •suveral politely lie^uod mo to coino in niul "liiinor." I went to the fniit-si^llev and feasted there. Monday ^Awjud 17. — As I could not \i,(ii into the State Mint, I went to the Ca|)itol and was introduced to the Supreme Judj^e. lie was very civil to a laieiless barrister. J should reckon his age at thirty years less than ndne. At 10, mounted the 1m)x of the stage with six in hand, and drove up a sandy road full of ruts, and crossed the track (i.stiii,'' snow-l''in. Their ^'ingest axis is on the strike N.S., or ther.'hy At the soulli end of this Itig lake is an inlet. At the n;uTow mouth it is iil'ty feet deep; at tlic deepest i)oint, inside, it is r>00, according to an old Swede who licl|)cd to sound it. The main hike is 1,04/5 feet deep, according to the mai>. The only ]iossil)l(! exit from this very dee]t irregular rock basin iKtw is at th(^ side, down th(f Truckee. That liver has Cut down about lifty feet, leaving a gravel beach to mark tlie old lake level all round. I think that this is old local glacial work enormously weathered. Ibit hot spi'ings are near the lake, and igneous action is more markc(l in the folding of rocks than any glacial marks that 1 can find about the lake shore. I found clear marks of ghiciation near the lake. Wiilncsday, 19. — After a very jileasant time in this cool pleasant ]>lace, at three set off in a six-horse stage, heavily laden, ami drove down the Truckee river to the city of the same name, whii-h is chiefly remarkable ibr Indians and Chinese coolit's. There we changed stages, and with four In uses and a light load set off at a " full run,"' that is as hard as the hor.ses cnuld go. We pa.ssed Donner lake and climbed to Sunnnit. TIu' sun set bi'for.' vc got in, and the imjon and stars shone with (^xtraordinarv liri'^htness in a very dark sky. At 7,042 feet we were at the snow, and ;V,<° and 45° felt chill v after the great heat. At Summit are 72 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. l)arometers, a saloon, and sunchy devices for the entertainment of tourists who come up to tlie hikes from the ^Californian plains. There is a bear and a monkey. A man took to sparring with the bear; he hit round at the man and tore the shoulder of liis coat with liis claws. If he had boxed liis ears the blow miglit have done worse damage. A sheet of sacking hung over a cage had on it in large letters — A MAMMOTH RED BATH CAPTURED AFTER A THREE DAYS' SIEGE IN HELL CAXON. " Wliat fellows these arc to exaggerate," I thouglit, and raised tlie sacking veil. A roar of laugliter from the saloon pronounced me sold. In the corner lay a red brickbat. Friday 21. — Up at dawn. Hoar frost. The snow lies lifteen to twenty feet dee]) here in winter. We ran down tliroxigh snow sheds, and l>y noon my glass was 95 in the plains of California. I got to Merced in the middle of the night, after a long delay at Lathrop. Merced, Saturday, March 22. — With a round ticket for sixty- three dollars, got up at five and got off at six in a four-liorse coach. ]\Ir. Sleeper was the gentleman wlio drove. The men on board were an American, a C'hinaman, and this child. A young lad, who told me a great ileal that was very interesting, talked of aerolites and comets' tails, the constitution of the .sun, and spectrum analysis. I got my glass up to 103° under the awning, and swallowed enough of Caliibrnian dust to NATIVES AND VAGRANTS. 73 make a small farm. My log is full of stuff about the Yosemite Valley and the big trees, but these are now cockney places. Digger Lidians had the whole place to themselves ; now they fish there and i)ound acorns, but all the woi-ld and his wife go tliere. 'My landlord was a German, his wife, Miss Dobbs, from Renfrew ; ]\IacAulay from the north of Ireland was next door ; l*erigord, a Frenchman, has fed 3,000 travellers this year at Ids house on ihe top, which has become I'arrigoric's, by the confusion of tongues. O'Hara ia the guide at Clarke's, and Mrs. Clark says she is a Spanish Moor. Eeturning from the big trees O'llara rode away from me. Sauntering (quietly after him, I'arson, my steed, stopped and started and stared. I stared and saw nothing but a lot of calves and sheep scampering in a meadow. "We went on the trail. Parson on tii)toe, or on that part of his hoof which contains his toes ; he ke])t his ears erect, sto[)i)ed, and started, and walked slowly ju. We came to a bough whicli looked Like a snake. Parson started, and T looked for rattlesnakes. Some mouse or cricket rustled. AVe both started. At last Parson stopped all four legs at once with a strange jerk and came to a dead i)oint. Then I sjtied two s(piaws going down the ti'ack Ijefore us. I could hardly get the horse to go near tliem ; they looked as scared as deer at me. ^vich carried a black pnppy in her arms and a big basket. They were bare- footed and walked in the dust. With their black hair and wild faces they seemed in keeping with the big trees of IMai'ipoea, and wliy my steed Parson was so scored by them remains to be explained. Are Indians a different kind of men, abhorred of horses ? 74 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. Sunday 30. — Drove to Maripo.sa, and there fraternise witli a farmer from Donegal. lie mined once, and lie tolil me a great deal. liufFalo Jim, the driver, mined for many yeare, and never Avas so liappy, cooking ]>ork and slapjack, smoking with friends at night, working all day ; no one to in- terfere with him ; independent, and free as air. A German pas- senger was a sailor and did the same. Xow lie has a "regiment" of children and a IJanche. Every man T meet has been a miner and is something else. Tlie gold bait brought them all this way ; now they stay to work the country, and those who have tlie best brains go to the fi'ont. We got down to the plains in time. The ground next the plain is worn l)y streams into round bumps that look like ridges and furrows in the low sun. Tliere .abide in company owls, ground s([uirrel.'!, and snakes. Tiiere ])a.sture great "bands" of slieep, herded by Mexicans and others, wlio ride furiously in clouds of dust. On holidavs they come to "bars," and l)illiard '"saloons," in shanties, and drink drinks of bad water with tlie farmers. At "Indian Gulch," whicli used to l)e "(piite a mining camp," I found a whole lot, and discoursed Avith them in Sj^uiish. Then we broke out into the plains. The sun set, iind the shadow of tlie world crept ii]) the sky, and overhead, and down the west, and closed the eye of day. Stars shop.o (tut more brilliantly than ever I saw them sliine. The Milky Way was a cloud of liglit amongr^t them. And so we trotted and I)umpod on to Merced, and made seventy-five miles with one change. At dinner we found a lot of " Odd-fellows " giving a part- ing entertainment to some young men who iin^ emigrating to Mexico. Th(!y made speeches. They sang '" Laiulloid fill the ilowing bowl," and they were gbirious on champagne CALIFORNIANS. ii> brewed ill this marvellous State. Fine, tall, hearty fellows they were, well-dressed, thriving men, a credit to their several native lands and to their adopted country. But to me, who can remember the birth of this State, and thouglit of cominj,' to the christening in 1848, there was something strange and incongruous in this sentiment addressed to Californian " emi- grants : " — " ^lay they always act up to the principles of their State wlierever they go, so that men may say of them, ' They are good men. They are Californians.' " The young men were not able to get on their legs, so one returned suitable tlianks sittinif. Monday, Avrjud lU. — Stayed in excellent quarters all day, and wrote log and letters. TucxiVoj, Srjifciiihrr 1. — Got to San Francisco, delivered my checks and got my luggage ; got my letters and wrote home. No. X. San Frakcisco, Wcdncsdaii, September '2iul, 1S74. My dear i\IoTiii;it, My last was from Salt Lake. I got inhere yesterday, and found quite a pile of letters. From Salt Lake I went to Virginia City to look at the great Comstock vein where much mining is done. Thence to Carson City, noted for bugs. A man who was much bitten by them everywhere^ went to the liotel there and registered his name in the big book at the bar as is the custom. A bug crawled over the page. " Well," said the man, "T never ,«!aw them come to see where I was to sleep before." None of them found me out and I .slept sound. I went over a mountain 1400 feet high in a stage, and six passing great carts loaded with wood, where there was hardly 76 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. room. The carts had teams of ten mules, with a wild man riding one of two shaft horses. The whole land is granite dust, in which grow giant trees 180 to 200 feet high, with no under-brush to speak of. How you would have pinched your neighbour if you had sat on the box, and looked down the sand slopes and rocks ! I held on by the iron rails with might and main. Then we got to Lake Tahoe, and steamed over it in a steam-launch puffing. Then I stopped and sketched for a couple of days. I set off in another stage over a worse road and got to Summit. There I joined the rail again, and spent a day 8000 feet above the sea sketching and geologizing. Then I set off again and ran to Merced. Thence I staged for two days over fearful roads, into the Yosemite Valley, where I stayed four days, sketching and riding about in a great gorge of granite with vast trees growing in more granite dust. The place is full of rattle- snakes, but I saw none. It is filmed for waterfalls, but I saw the only shower which has fallen there since last April, and I had to look for the falls with an opera glass. The feature of this place is dust. Then I rode right up a cliff on a practicable talus and over a granite hill down to " Clerk's," and on Saturday I went to the big trees and sketched there. I have got a stick for the Doctor, and I have sent seeds to those of the family who liave ground to plant them in. On Sunday I staged 75 miles in a cloud of dust. On Monday I stopped at Merced and made up log and wrote, and rested. On Tuesday I came here and got my letters. I shall get out of this as soon as I can. I have no adventures to relate and nothing to tell. The people seem to be the wild spirits of 1848-9 who came here from all the world to dig gold. They I ^ ARYAN DIGGERS. 77 dug till every river course was washed clean, and then they took to mining in quartz veins, sheep-farming in the plains, growing wheat, and other industries of the ordinary kind. Few white men are washing gold. The Chinese are at it still and make wages by hard labour. The geology of the matter is this. The Sierra Nevada, where I have seen it, is a great out- burst of Granite, Syenite and other such rocks ; on each side stratified rocks ai'e on edge striking north and south or thereby. In these rocks on both sides are Quartz veins which generally run N.S, or thereby ; with cross courses running all ways. In these veins are metals — Gold, Silver, Galena, Copper, Alercuiy, &c. &c. These as a rule are rich near the surface, poor low down, so deep mining generally has not paid. All the hills are deeply furrowed by rains. Tlie streams have washed the d(5bi'is, and the gold being heaviest has stopped in the bottom of the watercourses. Nature having done so much, men have carried on the process by washing the debris in the bottom. There is no gold, or none has l)eon got above the Granite line. It is all got out of the watercourses whicli pass the outcrop of the veins. Tiie best of them are nearest to the Granite range. The plains are all granite dust, and debris of rocks altered by heat, washed down and sorted by water and now as dry as a bone and alkaline. They get water by sinking deep wells. This may not iulerest you, but it does me, and may others, and it will do lor my log. Tills Occidental hotel is a Noah's ark full of people from Australia and the rest of the world on the path to everywhere, and a bore. I shall get out of it soon. And now good-bye for a while. J. F. C. 78 MY CIRCULAR NOTKS. Xo. XI. Merckd, California, Aiajml 31, 1874. ]My 13EL0VE1J A. E., Since A. would not conic travelling with ine this way, and you went East to Gainle Xorge, I must send you both a line .and a present from the West. With pains and steam I got over the Atlantic, and uj) over one side of America and down the other, as my letters to your Grand- mother and otliers more fully explain in detail, and my log will tell at large. Having some coin left I went off in a stage driving from this place to see the Yosemite. It is rather like your Norwegian Romsdal, hut the hills are not so high, and the forms here are not so quaint. The glen is not so long, and there is less water in it and generally it is smaller fish. This Yosemite, or Great Grisly Bear, is not up to the Norwegian mark as a valley, but it beats all creation for trees. I measured them 198 and 200 feet high, with stems eighteen and nineteen feet round. These are the common sort of pine trees which clothe the Californian hills, and the liigher I went the bigger the trees seemed to grow in shelter. So far, Norway may help you to realise tlie Sierra Nevada, but the driving ! My wigs and old bones, that's something new. A man tlrives five from the box on a road as wide as his three leaders, and full of stones ; up you go through the forest, and when the top of a hill is reached down you go full tilt, round corners, in and out, bump ; with an angle of 32°, and rocks and trees on one side or the other, or on both above and below the road. At last you get to the edge of a cliff, and over you go down a road of the steepest practicable AFRICAFvYAN DRIVERS. 79 gradient with cliffs on each side above and below, and no fence, and very sliarp angular stones at tlie ])ottom. The Gcmnii pass in Switzerland is a road of this kind, and there men prefer walking. The worst road that I ever drove a carriole on in Norway is less dangerous, and liere a nigger drove five-in-hand rapidly and frightened me horribly for two days. The Yosemite reminded me of Sindbad the sailor's Valley of Diamonds. I looked for them and f(jr gold and found nothing but sand, dust, and granite, and mica glittering in a hot sun. The snakes had nothing to guard but their own rattles. I found a lot of Digger Indians going about their avocations. I met one with a fishing-rod cut out of the forest, and a string of trouts, 'ticed out of the burn witli green grasshoppers. I saw their camps and bath-houses, and recognised the ways of my friends the Lapps and Finns. I saw the women one morning pounding acorns with a long stone in rock cups made on the top of a flat granite block by freciuent blows and nnich pounding of acorns there, to make jneal and cakes. Anotlier day I saw them cracking acorns for future pounding with great dexterity and a round pebble. They are curious creatures, and I was sorry not to get their ugly raugft drawn. T rode up and down the valley, which is as flat as Romsdal, and out of it up a wall as steep as the Troll Tinderne, up by some fallen rocks and talus heaps on a well-made horse track, which led me to " Glacier point." If ever you get to " Martin Luther " or the " Bridal pro- cession," and stand on the edge and look down, you will get a good notion of my bird's-eye view. The Fjeld seen from Jerkin is somewhat like the rolling plateau of the Sierra Nevada as J saw it when I got out of this glen of the burn. 80 MY CIUCULAU NOTKS. But the Norwegian tjekl is a garden to this well -drained roasted granite desert. I went on to the big Marij)osa grove, the Aristos of the forest, and King of trees. One was ninety- four feet round and 284 t\. II. \m| I tup: tukes of noaips auk. 81 it to be near three hundred feet hi<,'h, and it is an avera<,'e sample of some four or five hundred of the sort in this j^rove. The tree is very shapely, with emerald-f,'recn foliiaj^'e ; light red, and Indian yellow, and Imrnt sienna, were the colours used t(t imitate the brilliant colour of the bark, when the sun shone upon the straiglit thick trunk of this magnificent vegetable. High up, the best of them branch like some Scotch firs that I have seen, but the general shape of these big trees suggested the trees of my youth, which grew in my Noah's Ark. Of course you know that they are reckoned to be six thousand years old. The mischief here is, that other little trees two hundred : jet high or more, sugar-pines, cedars, and such like, grow so thickly about the big trees that it is hard to see or measure them from a distance. You cannot see the trees for tlie forest. I made my measures with a small optical square, which H. gave me ; and measured the base with a string, by the help of O'Hara the Irish guide. I thought he never was going to stop ; he ran out line like a salmon, and looked like a fly when he got to the root of the tree. A great many big tree groves have been found of late, and they range from near, the Pacific Railway down into Mexico. So far as I can find out, all groups grow on granite, in the Sierra Nevada, at six to seven thousand feet above the sea, in deep sheltered gulclies, and near some spring or streamlet of snow-water, which keeps the whole place damp. In the general dust and dryness of this high rainless drained mountain land of canons these trees seem to need shelter from storms of wind and moisture. The soil is wet granite dust, and tlie debris of trees " as old as the hills." Deep sheltered west highland glens, like those which we know in Koss-shire VOL. I. 82 MY CIRCULAR NOTRS. jukI in Arj,f}'llsliirc, seem most like tlie fiirouiid on wliieli I louml tlu'se tveos growing'. Try your luck with the seeds. I could hardly fhid a eone iinywlujre. Three thousand "globe trotters" and the residenters have gathered them this year. I could not find a single young trei!. 1 was told that an English Lord, who was a " bug collector " employed by the Queen ol' England, had carried ofi' two or three seedlings. I couhl not identity this aristocratic naturalist, and susj)ect that he was, like you, a gentleman botanist. T got the .seeds from a car[)enter yesterday at Clerk's, from whom I also got a coui»le of sticks for the doctor — "The wanderer" who bit me, and made me a vagrant, and a collector of sticks. Each bunch of leaves turns ujtwards at the end. Each leaf is made like an ear of corn, with a bent point at the end of each section of the leaf, which answers to an car in ii liead of wheat. It looks like a green plaited fishing-line. The bark of the twigs is like the shape of the leaves, but brown, wi<^h the scales on the bark more closely packed about the wooi The bark on the stimis varies in different specimens, i- me look smootli, and these have piles of shreds of she bark below tliom. Others have angular })lates of bark utside, like " Cedars.'' They all bear small cones a couple jf inches long. " Cedars " do not, and their leaves are mo.j palnuited and (^uite different. Sugar-pine (iones are long and enormous. I do not remember to have been this big tree leaf on trees in England which purport to be young specimens. The wood is while outside, pink within, and very light. It works short, and is brittle. It is said to last a long time. The fallen logs are sound, and seem to rot slowly. From tlicse fallen giants chunks are cut to TIIUNDKH AND POFSON OAKS. H•^ :h I (hIs. lobo y^car. riTi the lt,'.S. H'r.t ueds make relics for touriHts. TIk- trees belong' to tlic Stutc. The liliroiis biirk is luiiny lect tiiiek, .mkI out of that they carve ]iiii(iis]iioiis. The seed sells at twelve dollars a pcjuiid. As you are worthy of bi^' trees, I send you a eoupb; of jihoto- p'ajdis by \» atkiiis of »Saii Francise(j, who is one of tlie best artists in this line tluit I know. 1 send you the measure of the J5()ttle-tree. Jt «;rows at a s]iring wliere tourists lunch, and anuisi! themselves by throwing emptied bottles into a hole in tlie trunk. There is a very large ]»ile of broken jflass in there now, some twenty feet up. Sun Francidco. — Yesterday I travelled about a hundred miles out and in, from here to the top of IMount Diablo. 1 drove there from the station, about twenty-two miles, in a bu<,'.ii:y, and j^ot to the top, 4,000 feet, in a thunder-cloiul. My driver, unused to thunder, insisted on stopping on the highest point. I made him drive down about a hundretl yards, not liking to be a conductor. AVe stopped in a thicket of thorns and ])rickly oaks. I, unused to I'oison-oaks, began to cut a switch. The driver, w ho had ])ractical knowledge, which I lacked, Avarned me that I might easily j)oison myself by coming near these trees. ]\Liny Californians suffer greatly and dread I'oison-oaks accordingly, between us we escai»ed botli dangers. There's nothing like experience to teach fools. 1 coidd see nothing of the view for a low electrical haze wliicli filled the air. There were some loud peals of thunder about the city, and people were so unused to such storms that children screamed in the schools, and there has been a great talk. .St)me iuuigined that the end of the world liad come. They don't expect auother shower for the uext three months. At noon my glass was at 90° in the shade near the G 2 84 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. liill-top, at about 4,000 feet aliove the sea. At sundown came the usual sea-l)reeze and sea-fog, which coTne regularly. My glass then marked G0°, and the air felt raw and cool. The piles of wheat sacks and the hills of straw that T saw on this trip, all out in the open fields, would have made your farmer's mouth water and ga[)e for envy and wonder. One man has been threshing with steam for five weeks, and coining gold faster than miners. This is a wonderful country, but tlie dust is fearful. The ground S(iuirrels are as numca-ous, large, and hungry as rabbits. You asked me to look for in- vestments. If any of your people invest here in land, they will have to pay for it. Some farm labourei's earn four dollars a day, about lO.s. 8d., as I am told. They sleep out anywhere, and eat all that they choose while harvesting ; but they have to pay in proportion for clothes and shoes and sic like. No- body cares for anybody. A man is a hand, not a brother. Fruit, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, and all manner dH thing.-5 that you gi'ow paini'ully, grow here in marvellous abundance. I saw an old Irishman at tiie street-corner in caubeen and frieze, with unbuttoned knees and a dudeeu, selling his own grapes grown in his own garden. His stall, at Covent (Jarden, would have been worth about ten pounds, I reckon. He was asking our price for street apples. I was raised about a famous Scotch garden, but I never ate better fruit. I therefore suspect that the big trees will not thrivn very well in wet Scotland. Jiut try your luck. A friendl\' fellow-traveller told me tlie other day tbat 1 ouglit to go somewhere to look at a newly-found group. " There was me and my mates," he said, " and we found a fallen tree with a hollow in it. Wal, sir, w(! rode in si.xteen men altreast and 4 A WHOPPER, AND A PLATFORM. 85 Mown larly. cool. saw I your One lode out at a knot-hole. Yes, sii", that's so, you bet." ] smoked and remembered the mammoth red bat at .Summit, li' you send jjeojile here tell them to " keep tlieir eyes skinned," for all is not gold that glitters, even about the golden gate of this golden Suite. It is a big thing in farms, I reckon, but not (luite so big as the stories told about it to catch Hats. The hollows in the big trees result from the Indian practice of burning undergrowth to get at the game. Most of these very old trees have; great caverns burned in their sides. In some the fire has smouldered up a trunk so that it stands liollow, like a chimney. Of these chimneys some have fallen. 1 rode through one at Mariposa. 1 had to stoop jow and 1 blacked my widewake, but 1 rode tlu'ough a fallen tree. I was told that a man might hold up his rille at aim's length and ride through another, somewhere. 1 rode from side to side luider bm-ned arches in one standing tree. There was stable room there for many steeds. A radius of 15 feet 1 incli describes a circle of U-4 feet (J inches, which lits the string which measured the " (Irisly Giant." The area of a circle 'M) feet 2 inches in diameter is 714'74 feet. Allowing two s(]uare feet for a man to stand on, three hundred and fifty- seven stump orators might stand on the renmants of that stump if the tree were sawn over at three feet from the ground, (.'ut out a circle on your lawn, plant the seeds in it, and may you live to see trees grow as ])ig as those which 1 saw and sketched and measured at Mariposa. J. F. C, J lug-collector. J'.S. — S(ytcmhi'r 15, 187-i. — Seeds sent home in letters ai'e growing now in GHoucestershire, iu Walmer, in Cheshire, in 88 MY CIRCULAR XOTKS. Itoss-shire, at Windsor, and elsewhere. They lay dormant for a long time, and are now about twelve inches up. My carpenter was a true man. No. XIII. San Fuancisco, Sqilcinher'lnJ, 1874. My dear v., l\Iy intending emigrant cousin's heailquarters arc seventy-five hours off in another State, and he may be days off in th(! mountains of Oregon hunting. jNIy chance of meeting him is small. I have been going ever since I'ostou, but T have been wandering up and down, geologizing, and sketching, and enjoying myself alone. I never had so pleasant a comrade as m3'self. He never is in a hurry, ami he stops when T want to sketch as long as T likv. It's all a mistake taking travelling cojnpanions, unless they love, honour, and obey, as your companion does, T hoj)e. You write of balls. There M'as one in Yosemite Valley while T was there. I did not go, but the dancers were several very plain- headed, middle-aged, liai-d-working Ameri(;an matrons, sonic Spanish half-breed washerwomen, and, I believt', " ]\lary Anne the Indian srpiaw." They ai'e all perfet^tly hideous, for I saw them at different times riding nudes and kicking up fheii' heels in short snatches of Fandango about tiuiir doors in the valley. T believe there wiu-e sonui Chinese men, and sonui few belated and benighted Yankee! tourists, of whom two n^jtorfed to mo the next day. liall indeed! my dance was with big trees and rattlesnakes, and tariMitidas, and granite cliifs, and " Abraham" and " Moses," who are nniles. The last of these gave me a pretty dance, his back was like a very s^jringy bow OLD WAYS AND NEW LIGHTS. 87 IHiint \7t. on wliicli I and a Sj)aiiish saddle sprang up and down, till I tliouglit I was going up a big tree. lie would not walk over bridges which he smelt dangerous, so he jumped and Ik! bucked over logs, and generally he made me danoe for a dozen miles till my back ached. You talk of heat! my glass begins in the morning with 50° or thereabouts, and rises to 85°, 95° and 103°, while I sit in clouds of dust. I drink gallons of water, iced when T can get it, and so I eva})orate till I am as graceful as a grass- hop})er. I am sure I must be two stone lighter since I started, antl I feel (juite active and juvenile, and ready to dance if I could only llnd some l)etter partner than j\Ioses the mule. You talk of lUixton. Hah ! at Colorado, the springs at the foot of the Ifocky Mountains, at the edge of jjlains which begin at G,OUO feet above the sea, at the foot oi" Pike's Peak, which is 14,000 feet high, T drank " La fontainc qui bouille." It is 00° and better than seltzer water. When I came down from I'ike's Peak I got off my horse and sat on the edge, and di]i[)ed 'and drank from my indiarubber cup till I thought shame. Then I stoiijjed and began again. T was so dry from evaporatiini in 85", at 1,200 feet above the sea, that I mo])ped up the water like a s})onge. Heat forsooth ! lUixtoii indeed! dry u]> and don't talk to me about these kind of old- country mattiu's. If you write to my fair cousin, wish her all the joy she deserves. They had better not come here ti» practise. "Scotchmen when tliey come this side o' the moun- tains, think there's nae Clod Almighty to look after them, but there is," said a venerable party in spectacles to me yesterday morning. He was going out to shoot liehl rabbits and cotton tails, and ground squirrels in the plains with a lot of ■i 88 MY CIRCULAR NOTES. rancheros. They were going to look after slieej), and tliey all meant to sleep on the ground, with tlie sky for a roof and a blanket for bed and cover. And no hanlship is tb.at in this dry land. ]\Iy friend was a schoolmaster. On Monday I got into a breeze to cool off, and sat smoking and glowering at the sky at Merced. Tlie stai's did not look like brass-headed nails stuck into a blue velvet vault as they do at home. They seemed to float in purple light witli a great cloudy arch of yellow light beyond them, wliich is the 'Milky Way" of our dim Heaven. A German I'roni Ilulstein came to " cool off " beside me and leaned his back against the same post, and spoke English with a Yankee twang, and Californian })hilosophy. " Wliat is your o])inion of the cause of this dry climate ? " said he ; " some people here say that's all Divine Providence, but I'm not one of tliat sujterstitious sort." And then he went off o)i science, such as lie knew, and showed intelligence, but he had never noticed that which 1 showed him, the sequence of sunset colours on the west, and the shadow of the world creeping up the sky fmm the east. First a low Ixink of purple rose above tlic hills, then a great black arch was overliead, with stars glittering on it, and tl'on a low arch of violet, fringed willi blue, green, and yellow, and orange, shut down upon the western horizon where the sun had gone down l)lazing lialf an hour earlier, tiien it was night. Tliere are very few of " the superstitious sort" in this land, and it is not good for spliced ])ar.sons. Missionaries in single harness would fiml a grand lield. A (Jerman had been to a camp meeting; he said that he had so muclj Holy 8i)irit in him tluit he could not stagger home to his " Wagon," he met so numy iViends at the preaching, who T ■■■IB I I^-' Kl, t.av;.\N. \ KM. Il'irlv ViiM.Ml | K t' ■<'. \"1 I A DUEAM. H9 PJ|-.'«^J liiid Lager lieor and wliisky, tliat lie was " druiik," and tlio ]»reacliers was as " ]»ad," said iny Oennan wlio liad lieeii a Jlaiiilnirg sailor before he came here to mine in l.S4'.t. Now in 1848 or 1849, I thought of coining here to nunc, and dreamed a dream in my Lunk in Hanover Street, Hanover Sijuare, and when I awoke my dream was so vivid tlial I made a picture of California as 1 saw it in my dreani, and that you will lind in a big book of old drawings which I left at home. Last week in 1874, about twenty-live years after drawing my dream, I made a sketch of El Cai)itan in the Yosemite Valley, iind if ever my books and y»ju and I get together I will show you that dream and reality agree wonder- fully. Perhaps somebody described the reality before I dreamed. I am not one of the superstitious kind who believe in dream.s, or in second sight, or in the evil eye which makes Italians point at mc, but there aw. the drawings twenty-four years apart or twenty-tive, and they may be compared. And now let your motlier have the benefit of this nimbling screed, and tell i)eoj)h! where I am, and what I am doing. ] must go seek coin, for J am reduced to my last Amei'ican gold, five dollars. Tlien I must mak»i uj) my mind where to go next. Accept the blessing of this wanderer. "Sir," .said a man to me ; " air you travelling for business or for pleasure ? " " Sii'," said I, " I am travelling circumperandiuhitorically." "Tluit will do," said the Yank, " you liet." (Jive everybody my love. I am going out to gamble. N.l). — 1 tear u]i lunne letters, so take tlie hint and write Bcandah ' ■'■>. I.. I I 00 -MY CIUCULAU NOTES. 1 No. XIV. " A.TAX," Smidoii, Srptanhir G/h, 1874. My dear Motiiek, I wrote and posted a line to K. yest(a-day, and I started in tliis sliip for Portland (G42 miles) at noon. 1 went to the office to take luy ticket on Friday. A man came in and said that he could not go, so they might let his berth. " Is it a good one ?" said I. "Well," said the clerk, "I reckon tliat it is the best that was to be had here four days ago." I took it. It is less than a foot high, and scarcn a foot wide, and there is a knee over it which makes it impracticable. So I went down below to the eating room, witli two pilkiws and a blanket, and slept in my clothes ou a narrow bench. I forgot in rny dreams, turned and fell on the deck, " l)ump." A nice little nigger girl tapped me on the shoulder and asked me for a match. " Our babies is sick," she said, "and the lamp has gone out." T had no matches that would light tlie lamp. " They are twins; and tliey have been travelling all around (luite well ; now they are sick," &c., &c. ; tjien I fell asleep, and the little nigger went prattling to tlie Stewardess, or siune oiu) tdse. Tlu; twins and the lam}) wens choking ; I, in the open saloon, had a parched moutli and strangling. When tluiy opened a skylight sf)mewhere, the fresli air came showering down- my tliroat, and the babies C(>ased to squall — wliat fools people are alxnit air! I rose at six, went aft, rigged my bath aiul pumped salt water into it, and I am as fresh as paint. The freedom and easiness of tlie whole lot is someth.iiLr "^ Cl'UIOUS CHEATUKES. 91 delicious. I upon luy box to write, the wliole crowd stand round and look at nie ; a man is now reading over my shoulder, as I writi; ; another is looking at the otlier side of my paper, ami staring at my pen. Five are trying to reail my letter, ])ut now they are gone to seats. T sujjpose that they have road this passage which was written to drive them away. Xo. XV. Oregon, Poutnam), Seplcmhcr \Wi, 1874. So fur had I got with my Ajax letter, when a liorrid litt' .' Yankee boy came and pulled my pons about and bothered me, so that I had to pack up and quit. I have never beta (piiet enough to write since. My lellow-passengers turned c)ut to be chiefly German Jew s who are freemasons and odd fellows, antl good fellows. I fra- t<^(rnized greatly with one of the tribe of Aaron, as lu^ tohl me. They seemed prosperous au